Juan Cole

Backgrounds of New Security Ministers The USG Open Source Center rounds up information on the new ministers of interior and defence, and of national security. ‘Iraq: Interior, National Security, Defense Ministers ProfiledIraq — OSC ReportMonday, June 12, 2006 T12:51:57Z Jawad al-Bulani – Born in Baghdad in 1960, but comes from the city of Al-[A]marah, Al-Diwaniyah […]

Abdul Aziz al-Hakim to Tehran Basra, Federalism, Iran’s Nuclear Program on Agenda Shiite Iraqi clerical leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim is multi-tasking, according to al-Zaman [Ar.]/ AFP Al-Hakim first went to Najaf. There, he consulted with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and 2 other grand ayatollahs. Then he met with young Shiite nationalist Muqtada al-Sadr. Its sources […]

Bush Deliberations: Need for Political Track in Counter-Insurgency Paul Bremer says he hopes Bush’s cabinet summit will develop an effective military plan for defeating the insurgency in Iraq. Bremer came to Iraq saying appalling things like “we will go on imposing our will on this country” or words to that effect, and appears to have […]

Beeman Guest Editorial: The Journalism/Think Tank Merry-Go-Round William O. Beeman “The Journalism/Think Tank Merry-Go-Round And the Dilemma of the Academic Public Intellectual” ‘ [I want to address] the question of the sad, sad state of American academics in policy formation in the United States today. Think tanks, where no one ever has to go through […]

50,000 US Troops to be Garrisoned in Iraq Shahwani Opposes Militias in Security Forces A suicide bombing at a checkpoint in Baquba killed 8 and wounded 4 late Sunday. The US will keep a garrison of 50,000 troops in Iraq for years to come, if it can. A difference in strategy is emerging between Iraqi […]

Zarqawi Autopsy Jordan Refuses Repatriation of Body The US is sending a forensics team to do an autoposy of Abu Musaba al-Zarqawi. Al-Hayat reports that his family is demanding to know the results [Ar.] , after a local villager at Habhub near Baqubah told a story to a Western wire service and other Western news […]

Heavy Fighting in Ramadi Anbar Mourns Zarqawi Al-Zaman reports that heavy street fighting broke out on Friday in downtown Ramadi between US forces and guerrillas. According to the al-Zaman correspondent in the city, the fighting was heaviest at 20th and at 17 Tammuz streets and the al-Kas district. Medium strength weaponry (i.e. more than just […]

Key positions Filled Guerrilla Movements Pledge to Fight on Iraq has filled the key positions of minister of defense, minister of interior, and minister of state for national security. Defense went to a Sunni who had been an officer in the old regime but broke with it in the early 1990s. National Security went to […]

Yale Affair I am not going to talk about the Yale affair per se. But I did want to clear up some misimpressions I’ve seen here and there. First, it should be remembered that senior professors are sort of like baseball players, and other teams look at them from time to time, as recruitment prospects. […]