Juan Cole

Gilliard Shoots Down the Iraq/ Malaya Trope Steve Gilliard drives a silver stake through the persistent hope of some that Iraq’s “insurgency” can be defeated as the communists were defeated by the British in colonial Malaya (Malaysia). This comparison always neglects to note that the British had been the colonial power in Malaya since the […]

Arato Guest Editorial Andrew Arato writes: ‘ [Il]Legality and [Il]Legitmacy in Iraqi Constitution Making The constitution being submitted to the Iraqi people for ratification is a product of illegality. It was in my view legal to amend the Transitional Administrative Law to change the date of “writing” a final text from August 15 to August […]

Sullivan and Tantalus in Baghdad Reuters Correspondent Luke Baker draws the curtain back on the horrific circumstances in Iraq. Reporters are clearly demoralized, and Western reporters are depending more and more on local staff, who are losing family members and friends to the bombings and shootings. One reporter recently in Baghdad told me that the […]

Sunni Counter-Proposals Appear to Fail Parliamentary Vote on Constitution Sunday? Rory Carroll & colleagues at the Guardian reveal that behind the rosy talk, British and American officials are asking “how do you know when you are on the brink of civil war?” and privately comparing the unfolding catastrophe in Iraq to the Lebanese Civil War. […]

A Letter from an Iraqi Reader An acute Iraqi-American observer writes: ‘ I agree with much of what you wrote in your latest article in Salon.com. However, I think that your genuine good wishes for the iraqi people are superceded by the selfish interest of different groups in Iraq. Here are a few selfish interests […]

Baathists Protest in Baqubah About 5,000 Sunni Baathists demonstrated in Baqubah on Friday against the new constitution, condemning its provisions for loose federalism as a threat to the unity of the country. They also chanted to Bush that they love Saddam Hussein. Baqubah is about an hour’s drive northeast of Baghdad (in normal circumstances) near […]

100,000 Sadrists March Against Constitution Reuters reports that Muqtada al-Sadr’s supporters rallied in 8 cities on Friday, totaling a hundred thousand demonstrators in all. They chanted against the new constitution, which they characterized as an American-authored document. They also complained about lack of electricity and other services. Al-Sadr’s followers rallied in Kufa, Najaf,Baghdad (Sadr City), […]

Constitution’s Fate Unclear Al-Jazeera early Saturday morning is reporting that some sort of deal has been reached with the Sunni Arabs on the constitution, but the situation is so muddled that I cannot be sure it is a firm agreement. [It was just talk, coming from speaker of the parliament, Hajim al-Hasani. The saga goes […]

The Iraqi Constitution and the Sunni Arabs My article in Salon.com is “The Iraqi constitution: DOA?” Angry and marginalized, Sunnis are threatening to torpedo Iraq’s constitution. Disaster looms, and the Bush administration’s blunders are largely to blame. See also Phillip Robertson’s touching article in Salon on the death of culture in Baghdad in the conditions […]