Asia

Pakistanis are from all accounts rather miffed that President Barack Obama did not stop in Islamabad as part of his Asian tour. The officer corps is the angriest, but it is viewed widely as a put-down. From a Pakistani point of view, the US and Pakistan have been allies since the 1950s. They stood shoulder […]

Pakistan

Over 70 Killed in Mosque Bombings, northwestern Pakistan

Juan Cole

The Pakistani Taliban (Tehrik-i Taliban Pakistan) bombed two mosques in Pakistan’s Pashtun northwest on Friday, killing over 70 persons and wounding many others. CSM argues that one of the bombings, in Dara Adam Khel, was a reprisal against the Akhurwal tribe for opposing the Taliban and allying with the Pakistani army. Dara Adam Khel is […]

India

Bachmann Harms US Economy, Security with Scurrilous Charges about Obama in India

Juan Cole

One of the great things about the victory of so many eccentrics in the congressional races of 2010 for bloggers is that we can look forward to at least two years of having lots of fun with them. Of course, old-time funny people have come back, as well, such as cut-up Michele Bachmann. Bachmann is […]

Afghanistan

Cole in Truthdig: “The World Is Safer Without a Republican House”

Juan Cole

My column is out at Truthdig is out, entitled “The World Is Safer Without a Republican House” Excerpt: ‘ Although Congress for the most part leaves foreign policy to the president, it can occasionally intervene pivotally in that arena, as when it shot down Woodrow Wilson’s plan to have the U.S. join the League of […]

Afghanistan

On How War with Iran might Destroy the United States

Juan Cole

David Broder is a respected political analyst. I once had breakfast with him and I like him. I often think his columns are on the mark. So I am sure he by now regrets his piece on Saturday in the Washington Post on how Obama can get the country out of the economic doldrums. Broder […]

Afghanistan

Ballot Fraud, Mafia Rule making Afghans Pessimistic: Chayes

Juan Cole

I heard Sarah Chayes at the Michigan Theater on Thursday afternoon, speaking on Afghanistan. She is a long time expatriate in Qandahar, where she arrived late in 2001 as a reporter. She has gone on to be an entrepreneur of the Peace Corps kind, and a consultant to the ISAF forces…. …[Text removed at speaker’s […]

Afghanistan

On Beating Uppity Liberal Women: Afghanistan and Kentucky

Juan Cole

Afghanistan style (Taliban version): American style (Tea Party version): For more on woman-stomper Tim Profitt and Rand Paul see HuffPo. The episode puts Paul’s youthful opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment for women in a whole new light. Lauren Valle of MoveOn.org suffered a concussion and a sprained arm. It is not known what injuries […]

Afghanistan

Karzai and the Iranian Slush Pile

Juan Cole

The revelation that Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai receives millions in influence peddling payments from Iran is full of ironies. It demonstrates that the US and Iran are de facto allies in Afghanistan (in fact both of them are deeply opposed to the Taliban and their backers among hard line cells of the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence). […]

Afghanistan

Could Wikileaks leave Iraq without a Government?

Juan Cole

The wikileaks document dump from the Iraq War may well derail the formation of a government by implicating caretaker prime minister Nuri al-Maliki in running death squads. We are in our seventh month since the March 7 elections, but no new prime minister has been named because no party or coalition has the 163 seats […]