Juan Cole

Neo-Baath v. the Shiites Brig. Gen. Muhammad Abdullah Shahwani, the head of the Iraqi secret police, has charged 27 employees in the Iranian embassy in Baghdad with espionage and sabotage. He blames them for the assassination of over a dozen members of the Iraqi secret police in the past month. He claims to have seized […]

Green Zone Hit by Suicide Bombers Two suicide bombers wrought havoc inside the Green Zone in Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least four Americans. Al-Jazeerah suggested that the bold attack on the heart of US presence in the capital came in response to continued US bombing of Fallujah and recent American demands that Fallujans turn […]

Why the Cheneys are Angry Why are Lynne and Dick Cheney so angry that John Kerry mentioned their daughter Mary’s lesbianism in the third presidential debate? The difference of opinion on whether the mention was appropriate is rooted in two different worldviews, and on two different metaphors for gayness. The behavior of the Cheneys demonstrates […]

Bush v. Kerry: The Persian Gulf Empire and Perpetual War The visions for the American future laid out by George W. Bush and John Kerry differ starkly on matters of war and peace, and the shape of American power in the Middle East. Bush has put enormous resources into the Iraq war compared to those […]

6 US Troops Killed Mass Grave Exhumed A suicide bomber and guerrillas who detonated several roadside bombs killed 6 US troops on Wednesday. Caretaker Prime Minister Iyad Allawi threatened the inhabitants of Fallujah with a massive US military assault if they did not turn over Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other foreign fighters suspected of being […]

They may as Well have Voted in May Hamza Hendawi draws aside the strange curtain that had fallen over election preparations in Iraq. Ash-Sharq al-Awsat also reports on the issue, saying the the registration of voters and parties will begin on November 1 and last until December 15. Some 12 million voters will be eligible […]

Quotes of the Day Sy Hersh in the UC Berkeley News: “How could eight or nine neoconservatives come and take charge of this government?” he asked. “They overran the bureaucracy, they overran the Congress, they overran the press, and they overran the military! So you say to yourself, How fragile is this democracy?” . Apparently […]

Mosque Arms Stockpiles Targeted in Ramadi Alexandra Zavis of AP reports that US troops raided 7 mosques in Ramadi on Tuesday and arrested a leading Sunni clergyman, Abdul Alim al-Saadi, and his son. The move came after the outbreak of fighting between US troops and local guerrillas at Ramadi. On Monday night, guerrillas had fired […]

Sistani Rules that Believers Must Register to Vote Barzani threatens to Fight for Kirkuk KarbalaNews.net reports that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has issued a formal legal ruling requiring believers to register to vote in the voter registration drive set to begin on November 1. The ruling says, “It is incumbent upon all citizens eligible to […]