Ayad Allawi, Iraq's Former And Possibly Future Prime Minister Speaks Bluntly

In an interview with SPIEGEL, former Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi describes the current situation in his country as "critical," adding that, "It could go either way. Everything depends on the doctors' management of the patient. If the management is good, Iraq can survive. If not, then God forbid." Reuters

'Every Corner In The Region Is Frightened' -- SPIEGEL Interview with Iraq's Ayad Allawi

In a SPIEGEL interview, Ayad Allawi, Iraq's former and possibly future prime minister, discusses the withdrawal of US troops, the power struggle in Baghdad and the "very high possibility" of a new war in the Middle East.

Three bodyguards are sitting in front of his hotel suite in Kuwait, their guns bulging from beneath their suits. It's Ramadan and the men are fasting. But Ayad Allawi isn't, and he asks for an espresso. Allawi doesn't even create the impression that he lives according to religious rites. And that's also one reason why, nearly six months after the Iraqi election, he still hasn't become prime minister. He is one of the few representatives of a secular and supra-denominational Iraq.

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My Comment: This is a good interview with Ayad Allawi, and I agree with much of what he says. He holds no punches, and unlike the rose pedals that are being spread around by Washington and much of the media on U.S. disengagement from Iraq .... he outlines Iraq's problems and his worries for the future. His concerns on the region as a whole are also valid. Read it all.