Juan Cole

Another Fraud on Iran: No Legislation on Dress of Religious Minorities Maurice Motamed, the representative of the Iranian Jewish community in Iran’s parliament, has strongly denied the rumors started by Canada’s National Post that the Iranian legislature has passed a law requiring members of religious communities to wear identifying badges. The report was also denied […]

Maliki to Present Partial Cabinet Bombing in East Baghdad Kills 19 Udate: The Iraqi parliament approved the Maliki government. Some Sunni Arab representatives protested and walked out. But the Iraqi Accord Front, the coalition of Sunni religious parties, appears to have voted in favor of the government, however. (A walkout by all the Sunni Arabs […]

Two Dozen Dead in Violence Sistani, Yaqubi Aides Trade Insults Al-Hayat reports that [Ar.] the Civil War left 20 Iraqis and 5 US troops dead on Thursday. There were clashes between the Marines and guerrillas in Ramadi and Fallujah. An official building in Fallujah for municipal and military affairs took mortar fire. At least two […]

Maliki said Near to Forming Government Turks shell Kurdish village It is being alleged that Prime Minister designate Nuri al-Maliki will present his cabinet to parliament on Saturday. If he fails, according to the constitution, the president will have to ask someone else to form the government. (Though Iraqi politicians are dismissing any need to […]

42 Iraqis, 3 GIS Dead in Civil War The Iraqi Civil War took the lives of another 42 persons on Tuesday. The most horrible attack was in the Shaab district of the capital. Drivers of two minibuses attacked a market. The first shot 7 persons down, then when a crowd gathered, a second minibus driver […]

George W. Nixon George W. Bush’s Iraq misadventure has made him among the least-liked presidents in modern history, according to an ABC News/ Washington Post poll. Even Lyndon B. Johnson in the dark days of 1967-1968 was at 43 percent! And he had to decline to seek a second term over it! With regard to […]

Middle East Conflicts on Campus Scott Jaschik discussed the disputes on college campuses, especially UC-Irvine, over the Middle East. Yours truly makes a cameo appearance, as does the petition I started to defend John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt from scurrilous charges of bigotry. I don’t actually think things are as heated on most campuses over […]

The Nation: Soccer and Punishing Iran The Nation looks at the global politics of soccer with reference to Iran. Americans don’t realize it, but soccer politics is what makes most of the world go round.

33 Dead in Civil War 7 US Troops Killed over Weekend Basra in Chaos as Tribes Feud On Monday, scattered bombings and shootings left at least 33 persons dead by my count. Dozens more died over the weekend in fighting between guerrillas and US troops. Al-Zaman says that security has collapsed in Basra, with fighting […]