Juan Cole

Afghan Convert Released The Afghan authorities have released Abdul Rahman, a convert from Islam to Christianity who was facing a death sentence for apostacy. Apparently the grounds for the release were procedural– questions linger about the man’s mental health, and there are gaps in the prosecution’s evidence. That this travesty is being ended is a […]

Cole on Television I’ll be interviewed in the ABC Evening News Monday evening. Also I’ll be a guest on the Lehrer Show, PBS.

69 Killed in Separate Outbreaks of Violence All hell broke loose in Iraq on Sunday, but I’m darned if I can figure out most of what happened or why. It seems possible that the US committed two major military blunders that will worsen its relationship with Iraqi political forces. So they found 30 decapitated bodies […]

40 Casualties in Mahdi Army clash with Sunni Arab guerrillas AP reports that major clashes were fought Saturday at Mahmudiyah south of Baghdad between Mahdi Army militiamen (puritanical Shiites) and local Sunni Arab guerrillas killed or wounded about 50 persons late on Saturday. AP writes, ‘ Some 40 persons reportedly were killed or injured — […]

Year Four of Iraq Civil War: 51 Killed AP reports that guerrilla violence in Iraq killed 51 on Friday. In addition to bombings and drive-by shootings, police discovered 25 bodies, killed execution-style, in Kadhimiyah and Binok districts. (Kadhimiyah is largely Shiite). AP adds, “The rising death toll among Iraqis on Friday included five worshippers killed […]

Police Strike in Fallujah Tal Afar Success Questioned Alzaman/Reuters report that the police in Fallujah went on strike. They are protesting excesses committed by the largely Shiite Iraqi army troops installed in Sunni Fallujah by the Americans. A military spokesman in Baghdad maintained that any excesses were isolated incidents. It seems that even after the […]

Guerrilla Violence Kills 58 Khalilzad Accuses Iranians A suicide bomber detonated his payload outside the major crime unit of the Ministry of the Interior on Thursday, killing 15 policemen and 10 civilians and wounding 35 others. Then guerrillas blew up a market outside a Shiite mosque, killing 6 and wounding 20, with women and children […]

Civil War? What Civil War? Cole in Salon Readers have repeatedly asked me for a criterion by which we might fairly objectively decide if Iraq is in a Civil War (contrary to Bush’s and Rumsfeld’s denials). I have attempted such an argument at Salon.com. Excerpt: ‘ That there should be a political controversy over whether […]

At Least 35 Killed Lebanon Shiite Leaders Criticize American Meeting Roadside bombs targetting police in Baghdad and Iskandariyah killed five and wounded a dozen on Wednesday. Guerrillas in Baghdad killed 15 Shiite pilgrims in separate attacks, and wounded scores others, as they returnted from the 40th day commemoration of the anniversary of the martyrdom of […]