Juan Cole

US Isolated as Rift Grows with UK Even the British Foreign Office has now broken with the Washington consensus on the Israeli assault on Lebanon, which is basically that the Israelis should be able to destroy the whole country if they want to, over their two kidnapped soldiers. AFP reports: ‘ Britain’s junior foreign minister […]

Israel hits Christian Television in Christian North Lebanon, Kills TV Man Hizbullah rocket launchers are in the far south of Lebanon and Hizbullah is a Shiite organization. Note that in a national emergency when 500,000 persons have been rendered homeless and the number is growing, when there are hundreds of dead and thousands of wounded, […]

Lebanon’s Catholic Bishops Call for UN-Backed Ceasefire Demand Steps to Prevent Humanitarian Crisis Lebanon’s Maronite Catholic Bishops called Saturday for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s attack on Lebanon. (“The Maronite bishops of South Lebanon (Mgr Nabil Hajje of Tyre and Mgr Elias Nassar of Saida) could not take part in the meeting.”) The uniate Maronite […]

Haifa Rocket attack Wounds 5 Israeli Civilians Israel Bombs Numerous Lebanese Towns Again Wave of Protests in Muslim, Western Capitals A wave of protests swept the Middle East and Europe on Friday against the Israeli war on Lebanon. Thousands rallied in Sanaa in Yemen; in Amman, Jordan; in Cairo, Egypt; in Tripoli, Libya; and in […]

Grand Ayatollah Sistani Condemns Israel The Arabic original of Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani’s fatwa condemning the Israeli attack on Lebanon is here. Someone sent me an English translation by email. I think the fatwa should be read as a sign that Sistani is extremely anxious that the Lebanon war will send Shiite Iraq spinning out […]

Evacuation of Westerners from Lebanon Why are We the Story? Patrick McGreevy writes from Beirut: ‘ Why Are We the Story? We woke up this morning to a crowded sea. From our Beirut balcony, we could see a steady parade of warships, ferries, cruise ships, helicopter ships, and one aircraft carrier. Helicopters ferried evacuees to […]

Israelis Bomb Beirut, Baalbak Again Tank Incursion in South Massive Displacements, Humanitarian Crisis “Israel’s disproportionate use of force and collective punishment must stop.” – UN Secretary General Kofi Annan [Red herring alert:Someone on the Web is questioning this quote or complaining that I didn’t mention that Kofi also condemned Hizbullah. Oh for heaven’s sakes. I […]

Sistani Issues Impassioned Plea 48 Dead in Civil War Violence Thursday Two bombings, in Baghdad and north of Beiji, killed 10 persons on Thursday. In addition, 38 corpses showed up on the streets of Baghdad, victims of faith-based reprisal killings. Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani issued his strongest plea yet for Iraqis to cease their faith-based […]

Parsi Guest Editorial: Action Against Iran a Mistake ‘ July 20, 2006 Statement from Dr. Trita Parsi, Phd, author of Treacherous Triangle-The Secret Dealings of Iran, Israel and the United States (Yale University Press, 2007) It would be a serious mistake to follow the advice of Neo-con commentators who are now agitating for US military […]