Premier Gets Off to Strong Start

L. Paul Bremer III, the civilian administrator for Iraq, left without even giving a final speech to the country -- almost as if he were afraid to look in the eye the people he had ruled for more than a year.

Not so his replacement, a balding, pudgy man in a rumpled suit. He hardly looks well-cast for his part, but interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi could play a far more crucial role than his predecessor in Iraq and the region for years to come.

For now, at least, the plain-spoken secular Shiite has no qualms about looking his people in the eye.

Although daunting challenges lie ahead, Allawi showed himself to be tough, politically savvy and able to navigate between American demands and Iraqi expectations in his first week on the job.

He talked about security, security and more security -- the top concern of most Iraqis -- and he was lucky enough to enjoy a respite in violence. His first official public move was to exhibit former dictator Saddam Hussein in chains before an Iraqi judge, demonstrating the authority of his new government.

"Allawi has done extremely well on two fronts: He's managed to project the impression that he's in charge despite the presence of the American troops, and he's been very good at dodging questions he's not ready to answer," said Marina Ottaway, a senior fellow specializing in nation-building at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, based in Washington.

Those questions lie just ahead, beginning with how to improve security rather than only talk about it.

Allawi's security forces, though improving, are still inadequate to protect Iraqi citizens. That means he must rely on U.S. forces whose tactics are despised and whose presence reminds Iraqis that in some measure the occupation is not over.

As he works to unite the country, Allawi also must decide how much to include more extreme elements in the political mix. Can he bring substantial numbers of former Baath Party officials, many of whom are Sunnis, into the fold without alienating Iraq's sensitive Shiite Muslim community?