Elyawer expects millions of US dollars to affect the elections; occupation: Izzat al-Douri leads resistance from Syria

The Interim Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi accused Damascus of hosting "wanted elements" including half brother for the toppled Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, assuming the leadership of "terrorist operations" in Iraq, while the occupation's leadership talked about the toppled Vice President Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, which he said leads the Iraqi resistance from Syria.

Allawi told "Arabia" Satellite TV that "Syria shelters Hasib al-Refai, a former member in the intelligence and persons called Eyad Akkash and Sab'awai al-Hassan, the former security official in Saddam's regime." He added "for all of that we wrote to our brothers in Syria warning them that these members are wanted and should be handed to Iraq and their destructive activities should be stopped." He concluded "these elements lead terrorist operations in Iraq."

However, the higher commander of the American army in Iraq George Casey said that former officials in Saddam's regime, including Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, lead and finance resistance in Iraq, as from Syria "without being questioned." In the same context the Iraqi president Ghazi Alyawer said yesterday that he expects regional and international players will spend millions of dollars to affect the Iraqi general elections due on January 30th.

In a press conference in Baghdad, Elyawer explained "there are many regional and international sides which want to serve their own interests and want to have friends in the authority in Iraq." He added "We believe that millions of US dollars will be spent on the election process from outside this country. We hope this will not happen and that sums and decisions to be Iraqis."