Former Saddam supporter now Iraqi PM

IYAD ALLAWI, a former member of Saddam's Baath party who then worked with the CIA to topple him, was chosen as prime minister of Iraq yesterday.

Charged with taking over from the US occupation authority on June 30 and leading his country to its first free elections next year, his nomination emerged from a unanimous consensus of the 25 US appointees on Iraq's Governing Council.

UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, asked by Washington to help shape a new government, welcomed the choice of the British-educated, Shi'ite neurologist.