Former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi, leader of a secular Sunni-Shi'ite coalition in next month's parliamentary elections, defends a recent meeting with Saudi King Abdullah, head of the most influential Sunni nation in the Middle East, which sparked controversy in Iraq.
Former Iraqi prime minister and head of the Iraqiya National List, Iyad Allawi, on Tuesday (February 23) condemned the accusations made by Iraqi political parties regarding his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, saying the gove Read more

Former Iraqi prime minister Iyad Allawi, leader of a secular Sunni-Shi'ite coalition in next month's parliamentary elections, defends a recent meeting with Saudi King Abdullah, head of the most influential Sunni nation in the Middle East, which sparked controversy in Iraq.
Former Iraqi prime minister and head of the Iraqiya National List, Iyad Allawi, on Tuesday (February 23) condemned the accusations made by Iraqi political parties regarding his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, saying the government's foreign policy had isolated Iraq from neighbouring Arab countries.
"There was a fabricated furore made by some of the ruling parties over my visit to a number of Arab countries to discuss issues in the region, as the failure of the foreign policy of the regime caused Iraq to become isolated from its surroundings," Allawi told a news conference.
Rumours and accusations have swirled in Iraq since the 2003 U.S. invasion about Iranian influence in Iraqi politics, Syrian harbouring of Saddam Hussein loyalists and Saudi funding of Islamist insurgent groups.
The visit by Shi'ite Allawi to Sunni Saudi Arabia on Saturday (February 20) has reinforced some Iraqis' fears that foreign powers will use Iraq as an arena to settle sectarian scores.
Allawi's well-publicised trip to the kingdom, where he met King Abdullah and the Saudi intelligence chief, so close to the March 7 ballot has raised eyebrows, especially as Saudi has had little publicised contact with Iraqi politicians since 2003.
Saudi Arabia, which adheres to a strict brand of Sunni Islam and is arguably the region's most influential Sunni state, has clearly shown displeasure at the rise of a Shi'ite-led government in Iraq after the ouster of Sunni dictator Saddam in 2003.
Allawi denied that the trip related to the poll next month.
"The sick minds, which worked and still work on isolating Iraq from Arab and Muslim countries, wanted to connect my visit to the election that will be taking place during the coming days. If that had been the reason, I would not have gone to (Arab countries) a few days before the election, but a few months before," Allawi said.
Allawi's Iraqiya list, which includes Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, a Sunni, is expected to pose a challenge to Iraq's established Shi'ite Islamist parties next month.
Some Iraqis saw Allawi's visit to Saudi Arabia as normal step for a leading politician to take.
"Iyad Allawi is a politician and he needs to form relations with Arab and foreign countries in accordance with Iraq's interest, especially as Saudi Arabia is a neighbouring country and, ultimately, it and Iraq share one fate," Baghdad resident Wissam Arab said.
Mohammed Youssef, another resident of the capital, questioned the timing of the visit.
"Why did Dr. Allawi pay a visit to the neighbouring country of Saudi Arabia now? Why did he make his visit now? Why did he not visit Saudi Arabia before? Everybody knows the circumstances we face, such as the killings and displacement. I do not think I ever heard Saudi Arabia condemn (the violence)," Youssef said.
Some Saudi clerics have publicly backed a Sunni insurgency in Iraq, and wealthy Saudis are suspected of funding militants. Saudi King Abdullah refuses to meet Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and there is still no Saudi embassy in Baghdad.
Some Iraqis point out that other politicians are highly likely to seek support from abroad, but do so secretly. Close