WASHINGTON — In his first two months as head of the American-backed interim Iraqi government, Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has produced something rare for U.S. policymakers dealing with the turmoil in Iraq: a pleasant surprise.
In his first 60 days, they say, Allawi has stamped his authority over the fledgling interim government he leads, focused almost exclusively on the crucial issue of security and, in the process, emerged as a credible Iraqi political figure visibly trying to establish a semblance of law and order.
"He's smart, he's tough, he's resolved," said Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who frequently has challenged the administration's postwar strategy. "In light of the capacity he possesses, he's done a remarkable job."
In the anarchic confusion of Iraq, success is often measured in the most modest accomplishments. Although Allawi, 59, has convinced many Iraqis that he's striving to make a difference, the armed insurgency has shown no sign of weakening and the rate of U.S. military casualties since he took the job June 28 has been among the highest in the post-invasion period, according to Pentagon figures.
Allawi has been accused by some critics of being a "Johnny One-Note" -- concentrating on security to the exclusion of other pressing needs -- and has little experience in the hardball world of Iraqi political power-brokering. Many believe that his effort to negotiate an end to the uprising by Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada Sadr in Najaf left him overshadowed by Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who brokered the deal to end the crisis Friday, and outflanked by Sadr, whose fighters were allowed to leave freely, many keeping their weapons.
Despite all this, U.S. policymakers say, Allawi's initial actions have combined to give ordinary Iraqis what they have lacked for months: hope that life might begin to get better.
And he has given the Bush administration at least momentary hope for its prospects in Iraq.
"He's demonstrating political leadership in an extremely difficult situation and meeting the security challenges of Iraq with resolve and determination," said a senior White House official who declined to be identified by name.
Allawi's early trips outside the highly protected government compound in Baghdad -- sometimes to inspect bombing scenes -- left an impression among beleaguered Iraqis that he understood their concerns about the urgent need to improve security. The fact he did so despite repeated death threats from insurgents seeking to destabilize the country added to his stature.
