Iraqi interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi has warned that Iraq faces "disaster" unless it moves toward national unity, the Washington Post reported Friday.

"If the objective of national unity is missed, if the objectiveof national reconciliation is overlooked, then this will definitely spell out disaster," Allawi, 60, said in an exclusive interview with the Post.

He said that Iraq "could be heading really toward severe turbulence" although it was not now in grip of a civil war.

Allawi expressed concern that the Shiite pro-Islamist United Iraqi Alliance, which won the parliamentary election last month, could bring religion formally into politics.

He said he also worried about the influence of Iran, whose clerical government gave shelter to a powerful Iraqi Shiite party during Saddam Hussein's rule and has continued to finance it.

In addition, Allawi said, Syria also remains a problem.

Allawi's party rank third in the election for a 275 member national assembly that will draw up a new constitution and appointa presidency council that will choose a government.

Allawi, who will stand down once a new prime minister is appointed following the landmark January 30 election, said that hewas considering leaving Iraq for elsewhere in the Middle East oncethe new government took office, particularly if it did not providethe security he deemed necessary.