Juan Cole

Internet Wars in the Middle East and Iraq The London Pan-Arab daily, Al-Sharq al-Awsat [“The Middle East”] reports in Arabic that sectarian guerrilla groups and militias in Iraq have enlisted hackers to take their struggle into the internet. These jihadi hackers attempt to break into the sites of their rivals and deface them or steal […]

National Security Estimate Key findings of the Iraq National Security Estimate have been posted (pdf) at the Director of National Intelligence web site. Josh Marshall and colleagues have links to early comment and reaction. Important points from TPM commenters: *It is a civil war but in some ways it is worse than just civil war, […]

Guerrillas Kill 45 in Hilla Massacre Security Plan May strengthen Shiites Guerrillas detonated two bombs in Hillah on Thursday, killing 61 and wounding 150. Hillah is a largely Shiite city, and the guerrillas were likely Sunni Arabs based in Sunni areas to the north. The guerrillas are trying to throw Iraq into civil war by […]

4 US Troops Announced Killed Troops lack Basic Equipment in Iraq Bush Admin. launches anti-Iran propaganda campaign The mission of US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is being impeded by lack of armored vehicles and other weapons. State Dept. figure Nick Burns made a lot of vague and unsubstantiated charges against Iran on Wednesday. Most […]

Holy Day attacks Kill at Least 56 Sunni Arab guerrillas seeking to provoke further fighting in Iraq’s sectarian civil war targeted Shiites on the holy day of Ashura, Tuesday, killing 56 and wounding dozens. Many of the Shiites targeted were in smaller towns or cities, or were hit by mortar shells. The deployment of 11,000 […]

Bush Comment on Najaf Farcical; Hawatimah Tribe of Diwaniyah involved in Mahdist Uprising? Attempts are being made to knock down all kinds of stories about the Najaf uprising. Bush expressed happiness that the Iraqi Army (actually the Badr Corps fundamentalist Shiite militia) acquitted itself well against the rebels. But in fact, the Iraqi security forces […]

Cole in Salon.com: Bush’s Anti-Iran Fatwa My Salon.com column this week is now available:“The danger of Bush’s anti-Iran fatwa”: The president’s decision to use force against Iranian “agents” inside Iraq could snare innocent pilgrims, and raises the risk of open warfare. Excerpt: ‘ George W. Bush last week announced that American troops in Iraq were […]

Mahdist Cult Almost Defeated Iraqi Army at Najaf Wave of Bombings, Mortar attacks in Baghdad Marc Santora of NYT reveals that the Iraqi army was very nearly overwhelmed and defeated by the Army of Heaven militia of the Mahdawiya millenarian movement near Najaf on the weekend. They had to call in not only US airstrikes […]

Cole Interview on CNN Monday Cole on CNN. YOUR WORLD TODAY Aired January 29, 2007 – 12:00 ET JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Now, from the raging battle outside Iraq, to the political posturing by Washington and Tehran, what’s really at stake? Earlier, we spoke with Juan Cole, professor of modern Middle East history at […]