The AP reports that Interim Vice President Ibrahim al-Jaafari was chosen as his Shiite ticket's candidate for Iraq's next prime minister Tuesday, after Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid.

Al-Jaafari has sent mixed signals about his Islamist ties. He is brother-in-law to the Grand Ayatollah Sistani, the most powerful cleric in Iraq. His ties to Iran are also deep. After a failed rebellion against Saddam Hussein in the 1970s, al-Jaafari fled to Iran in 1980 where he lived in exile until 1989. He then moved to London where he became the chief spokesman for theh Dawa party in exile until the US led ouster of the Baathist regime. His wife and children remain in London.

On the one hand he has stated that he believes Islam should be the only source of Iraq's fundamental law. A chilling statement for Iraq's Christian minority who would be forced to live in legal dhimmitude--or second class citizenship--if even moderate sharia law were imposed. For instance, Islamic law forbids the free expression of religion and prescribes the death penalty as the maximum sentence for Muslims who leave the faith. But even if the maximum penalty were not given any society that forbids apostasy as a matter of law is not free.

On the other hand Al-Jaafari has been generally supportive of Kurdish autonomy. He is expected to become Prime Minister with the support of the Kurdish ticket which came in second in the elections. He has also been a critic of Wahhabi style laws which restrict women from voting or even driving. He supported the US invasion and was part of the original governing body appointed by the Coalitin Authority.

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