Juan Cole

Samarra’ Assaulted by Guerrillas The LA Times reports that guerrillas launched a major attack in Samarra on Wednesday. Carloads of gunmen came into the city and attacked a building used by security forces with rocket propelled grenades. They then attacked the hospital, until US and Iraqi government forces responded to attacks. When ten carloads of […]

Another US Helicopter Downed, This Time in Afghanistan 17 Dead Taliban used some sort of rocket to shoot down a US helicopter in Afghanistan, killing all 17 servicemen aboard. This is the second US helicopter lost this week. Earlier in the week, Iraqi guerrillas north of Baghdad downed one, killing two US soldiers. It is […]

Guest Opinion: Iraq Avalanche Unstoppable: Richards “The Iraq Avalanche Cannot be Stopped” by Alan Richards University of California Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CAJune 24, 2005 I have been reading the debate . . . on “What next in Iraq?” (“Unilateral withdrawal? UN forces? Staying the course?”) with great interest. There is a way, however, in which […]

Some Iraqis Criticize Bush’s Speech Looming Health Crisis in Qaim Area An Iraqi response to Bush’s claim that he is fighting terrorism by drawing terrorists to Iraq: ‘ “Why don’t they find another place to fight terrorism?” asked Abdul Ridha al-Hafadhi, 58, head of a humanitarian aid group. “I don’t feel comforted by Bush’s remarks; […]

Arguing with Bush Bush’s speech. “The terrorists who attacked us and the terrorists we face murder in the name of a totalitarian ideology that hates freedom, rejects tolerance and despises all dissent. “Terrorists” are not a cohesive ideological category like “Communists” as Bush suggests. Lots of groups use terror as a tactic. The Irgun Zionists […]

Tel Afar and the North We have not heard much lately about the US campaign in the northern, largely Turkmen city of Tel Afar. The city has been a perennial security problem. There is evidence of local Turkmen guerrilla groups cooperating with Arab guerrillas, and the city seems to be part of an underground railway […]

SCIRI Rejects Negotiations with Baathists Against the backdrop of the London Times report that the Americans are negotiating with Iraqi guerrillas, confirmed recently by US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Gilbert Achcar writes: Excerpt from the lead article on Iraq in Al-Hayat, June 28: The Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq (led by Abdul-Aziz […]

Parliamentarian Assassinated Guerrillas assassinated a member of parliament in Baghdad on Tuesday. They cut down Dhari Ali al-Fayadh, along with his son and three bodyguards. Al-Fayadh had run for office as part of the largely Shiite United Iraqi Alliance. The oldest member of parliament, he served as speaker of the house when it first met. […]

Guerrillas Shoot Down US Helicopter Bombings in Baghdad Bush Presses Blair for More Troops Guerrillas using a shoulder-held missile launcher, probably an SA-16, shot down a US Apache helicopter Monday north of Baghdad, killing both servicemen aboard. AP reports, ‘ “Witness Mohammed Naji told Associated Press Television News he saw two helicopters flying toward Mishahda […]