Juan Cole

Gaza and the Orange Shirt Protests Or the Middle East Made Simple These are the people of Gaza: Even in ordinary circumstances, Gaza is a mess— a crowded slum with nearly a million and a half people crammed into a tiny portion of the strip, living in grinding poverty. Children’s health statistics have been plummeting. […]

The Roberts Nomination and the Iraqi Constitution: Bush’s War on Women George W. Bush’s nomination of John Roberts, Jr. is a setback for American women, just has his policies in Iraq have produced a setback for women’s rights in the Arab world. Indeed, Bush has been bad for women all around the globe. By nominating […]

27 Iraqis Killed Members of Constitution Committee Assassinated Al-Jazeerah is reporting a suicide bombing at Muthanna airport in downtown Baghdad that killed 5 and wounded 15 on Wednesday morning. Guerrillas sprayed a car transporting Sunni Arab members of the constitution-writing committee with gunfire on Tuesday killing all three. They were Shaikh Mujbil al-Shaikh Isa, Aziz […]

The Australian Military and Iraq Given Australian PM John Howard’s appearance with Bush in Washington on Tuesday, the question of the role of Australian troops in Iraq remains a live one– especially in view of British plans to draw down their contingent to only 3,000 in the next year. Brian writes from Australia: ‘ You […]

24 Dead in Iraq Women face Restrictions PM Ibrahim Jaafari’s discussions in Tehran with the Iranian government have gone well. A number of economic deals were struck that will help Iraq recover its ability to produce electricity. AP reports that guerrilla violence left 24 dead in Iraq on Monday. AP says that most of the […]

July 7 bombers Stayed in Karachi Al-Hayat is reporting that Magdy Elnashar, the Egyptian suspect in the July 7 bombing now being interrogated by British police in Cairo, admits that he knew Hasib Hussein, one of the four bombers, and helped him get an apartment. The apartment he passed to Hasib was discovered to be […]

Bush Weasels out of Pledge With regard to the Karl Rove leak scandal, President Bush had earlier pledged to fire anyone with responsibility for the leak of a CIA operative’s name.. But now he is revising his criteria to say that he would only fire the person if they were shown to be guilty. Satire […]

The Crock of Appeasement The warmongers, imperialists, and just plain greedy who wish to use up US troops to gain their ill-gotten goods love to use the word “appeasement.” Anyone who stands against their expansionist ambitions will be tagged with this term. In the lexicology of the Rabid Right, it evokes British Prime Minister Neville […]

Christian Terrorist Rudolph Sentenced What the Rightwing Press Will not Say Notorious Christian terrorist Eric Rudolph was sentenced to two life terms on Monday. The one-time fugitive had carried out four bombings that terrorized the southeastern areas of the United States. Among his crimes were the blowing up of an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Alabama, […]