In other Iraq news, the Shiite cleric who is expected to become the Iraqi prime minister after the Jan. 30 election has said he will call for the withdrawal of U.S. troops “as soon as possible.” According to an article in the Times of London, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim said “No people in the world accepts occupation and nor do we accept the continuation of American troops in Iraq.” The leader of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq also suggested Iraq may reach out to Syria and Iran for help with future security issues. Interim prime minister Iyad Allawi responded by telling the BBC it was too early to discuss the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.