Juan Cole

Guerrilla Violence Kills 48 Jaafari Criticizes US Rules of Engagement Guerrillas launched a new wave of bomb attacks in Iraq on Sunday, killing at least 48 persons and wounding dozens more. AP reports: In Baghdad, a suicide bomber targeted a recruiting center for the new Iraqi military. He killed 25 and wounded nearly 50 persons, […]

Update on London Bombings Larry Johnson writes knowledgeably on the possible types of explosives used in the July 7 London bombing at Pat Lang’s very interesting Weblog. The leader of the Muhajirun group predicted last year that London would be hit by extremists. Fareed Zakaria nails it. The piece is well worth reading for his […]

22 Killed in Iraq Guerrilla Violence US, UK, to Massively Draw Down Troops during Next Year Reuters has picked up on a report that first appeared in The Guardian on July 6, that the British are planning to draw down from 8,000 to 9,000 troops in Iraq now to 2,000 to 3,000 by spring-summer of […]

Update on London Bombing Investigation Cole: Unlikely to be by British Muslims AP is reporting that London police have issued new conclusions about the July 7 London bombings. The three subway bombings were virtually simultaneous, suggesting that they were coordinated somehow (or maybe the timers had just been set for the same time). It is […]

London Bombing by Less Sophisticated Group London began digging out on Friday, dealing with the aftermath of the attacks. AP reports: ‘ Much of London was eerily quiet. Bombed stations were shrouded in security curtains, and refrigerated trucks waited outside to carry away bodies. Bouquets of fresh flowers and cards scribbled with thoughts for the […]

Italians to Begin Withdrawal Roadside Bomb Kills US Soldier in Iraq Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced Saturday morning that the three thousand Italian troops would begin pulling out of Iraq in September. Some 300 will leave that month. The Italians have been stationed at Nasiriyyah, a Shiite area in the south that has been relatively […]

Iraq and State Dept. Terrorism Watch List Intrepid readers write about the checkered history of the US designation of Iraq as a state sponsor of terrorism: 1. ‘Here is some info on Iraq and the State Sponsored Terror List. As far as I can tell Iraq was removed from the list 1982 as thanks for […]

Death Toll in London climbing toward 50 The death toll in the horrible London bombings seems headed toward 50 or higher as some severely wounded passengers have succumbed. The driver of the double decker bus that was bombed has given his account. All the Muslim governments condemned the bombings of London, including Egypt, Syria, Saudi […]