Juan Cole

Iran Cleans up in Iraq Iran is perhaps the only unambiguous winner in the new situation in Iraq, and its foreign minister was basking in the glow on Saturday. On Friday, Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari defended Iran’s right to have a civilian nuclear energy program. That can’t be what Washington was going for in […]

3 GIs Dead So Far, 18,200 US Troops Wounded in Iraq See Nir Rosen’s important article, “Iraq is the Republic of Fear” in WaPo today. Reuters rounds up the civil war violence in Iraq on Saturday. By my count, at least nineteen were reported dead. Three GIs were announced dead, two in a helicopter crash […]

Italians to Pull Out nearly Half of Troops in June Sectarian struggle among Tribes at Suwayra Congrats to Mariam Karouny for an excellent story on how the Virtue (Fadhila) Party is staging what she calls a “go-slow” in Basra’s oil industry to protest the federal government’s refusal to appoint a member of Virtue as Minister […]

Arguing with Bush and Blair The news conference of Bush and Blair on Thursday evening was unexpectedly dominated by Iraq. I’m going to just pull out some passages worthy of comment, not in order. In fact, the first is from the end: ‘Q: Mr. President, you spoke about missteps and mistakes in Iraq. Could I […]

Iraq’s My Lai Friday morning, guerrillas used a car bomb to kill at least 9 persons [later reports say 9] at an East Baghdad market, wounding 31. AP had reported 13 killings on Thursday, including two US troops. Al-Sharq al-Awsat said 20 were wounded. The neo-Baath Party (well that is most likely who it is) […]

Iran Offered Recognition of Israel, Nuclear Cooperation Bush: “How dare you!” In 2003, Iran offered to come in from the cold in a proposal to George W. Bush. Recognition of Israel within 1967 borders, pressure on Hizbullah and the Palestinians to moderate, signing the additional protocols of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, full cooperation with the […]

Maliki: Iraqis in Control of Own Security within 18 Months 50 dead in fresh violence Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said Wednesday that Iraq will be able completely to handle security throughout the country within 18 months. He had earlier suggested that Coalition troops could leave by the end of this year. UpdateNewsday covers the […]

Demonstrations on Thursday Face Repression Egypt’s Mubarak Criticizes Washington HOw will the Mubarak regime deal with the protests planned for today against the lack of judicial independence and the rigging of elections? My article on the increasing annoyance Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is showing toward Bush administration policies in the Middle East is out in […]

National Post Retracts Minorities Badge Story on Iran Antonia Zerbisias follows up on the the bogus National Post story about Iran having passed a law requiring Christians and Jews to wear badges identifying them as such. She notes that The National Post has retracted the story, saying: ‘ Our mistake: Note to readers Last Friday, […]