Juan Cole

Fallout of Failed Israeli Raid Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports that the Israeli raid into the Biqa’ was aimed at kidnapping a prominent Hizbullah leader, or possibly recovering captured Israeli soldiers. The official Israeli cover story is that they were preventing the supply of arms to Hizbullah by Syria. But that makes no sense. Why would you […]

56% of Americans: Iraq War not Worth it Lockdown Continues amid Shiite Pilgrimage and more Violence US troops found weaponry in an office affiliated with Shiite nationalist cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The US sweep of Baghdad is aimed at reducing militia and guerrilla activity in the city. Of course, this can be accomplished while there is […]

Israeli Commando Raid foiled: Hizbullah Lebanon says that the Israelis made a commando raid into the Biqa’ valley, attacking a village near Baalbak. The Lebanese maintain that they foiled the raid. The Lebanese army increased the territory within which it functions in the South. WaPo on Hizbullah: The best guerrilla group in the world. Milt […]

Tension between Iran and Shiites In Iraq Iraqi Shiite Attacks on Iran Amit Paley and Saad al-Izzi at WaPo explore anti-Iranian feelings among Shiite sectarian groups in southern Iraq. Louise Roug of the LA Times profiles Sheikh Mahmud Sarkhi al-Hasani of Karbala. Too dangerous in Iraq to go to mosque, many Muslims in the center […]

Jumblatt Blasts Syria Hizbullah revs up Aid to Victims Majority in US wants Even-Handed Policy Anthony Cordesman surveys the military pros and cons of the way the war was waged. (PDF). This study provides important statistics and details I haven’t seen elsewhere. A majority of Americans wanted the US to be neutral in the Israeli-Lebanon […]

48 Killed, Dozens Wounded Basra Tribal Leader Threatens More Violence 2 US GIs Killed Two more US GIs were announced killed in Iraq on Thursday. Roadside bombings against US and multinational forces spiked during the last month. Some pro-guerrilla web sites have said that they wanted to punish the US for supporting Israel against Hizbullah. […]

Hizbullah Rejects Syrian Position Lebanese Army Begins reaching South DPA/ al-Zaman report that [Ar.] in Beirut, Hizbullah declined to adopt the position of Syrian President Bashar al-Asad in accusing the reformist politicians of standing against Hizbullah and the resistance in Lebanon. (Bashar has a feud with the 14 March group, but Hizbullah joined it in […]

The Blue Jinn: Cole in Salon on Iraqi Speaker My article in Salon.com on the controversy surrounding the Speaker or President of the Iraqi parliament, Dr. Mahmoud Mashhadani. By the way, a jinn or djinn is a genie as in genie in a bottle. I don’t actually think they are blue in the Thousand and […]

Marsh Arabs Attack Basra Governor 22 Killed, 93 Wounded in Baghdad Bombings Security Collapses in Mosul The Gulf Daily News writes that bombs killed 22 and wounded 93 in the center of Baghdad on Wednesday. Later reports put the deaths at 25. ‘ BAGHDAD: Three car bombs hit commercial districts of downtown Baghdad yesterday, killing […]