Iyad Allawi, 2004 News

Iraqi neurologist, was named prime minister of Iraq in May. A former exile and member of the Iraqi Governing Council, Allawi has close ties to the CIA and the Bush administration. With the financial backing of foreign governments and the CIA, Allawi formed the Iraqi National Accord, a group of former Baathists living in exile. The group attempted to overthrow Saddam Hussein in 1996. Allawi visited the U.S. in September and painted a rosy picture of Iraq—despite the growing instability and insurgency there. In December, he declared his candidacy in the national elections, scheduled for Jan. 31, 2005.