Former Iraqi prime minister Eyad Allawi said in comments published on Monday that he had been warned of plots to assassinate him. Allawi was quoted as saying by Britain's The Times newspaper that he had received warnings from American generals and Iraqi officials about plans to kill him.
His growing fear of being killed led him to request extra security measures from the Americans, who erected additional concrete barriers around his house. "I got a letter from the Americans saying that there is a plot against me," he stated.
"Then some other friends in high positions also told me the same thing. These are evil people's designs."
When asked who might want to kill him, he replied: "I don't know." But he went on to say the outgoing government of his rival, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, might be aiding the work of those targeting him, reported The Times. He claimed he asked the government for more protection around his home but security officials refused, so he turned to the Americans.
"This is more protection than I have ever had before, even at the height of the violence two, three, four years ago," he said.
