There seems to be a dearth of volunteers for the job of Iraqi prime minister, and Colin Powell says he’s waiting for UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to make a recommendation: Powell: U.S. Waits to Hear from Brahimi on Iraq PM.

I don’t make too many predictions, but my lizardoid senses are telling me that putting this much trust in an Algerian Israel-hater (whose daughter is a CNN android) is going to turn out to be a big mistake.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Colin Powell declined on Friday to confirm whether Iyad Allawi will be Iraq’s new prime minister and said Washington is still waiting to hear from U.N. envoy Lakhdar Brahimi on his choice.

An aide to Allawi, a member of the U.S.-picked Iraqi Governing Council with long-standing links to the CIA, said the wealthy secular Shi’ite Muslim had been chosen to be prime minister of an interim government due to take over on June 30.

Asked if he could confirm Allawi would be the new prime minister, Powell told reporters, “We have no position on any candidate at this moment because we are waiting to hear from Ambassador Brahimi and he needs time to complete his work.”

“The report you are referring to is a wire service report over the last hour that said that the Governing Council had voted and (that) the results of that vote was that they are recommending or nominating … Mr. Allawi for the position of prime minister,” Powell said.

“I am pleased that Mr. Allawi has that kind of support but we are working with Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi … and he is the one we are waiting to hear from, not only with respect to the prime minister, but the president, the two vice presidents as well as all of the Cabinet ministers,” Powell added.

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