Juan Cole

Shiite Leaders Negotiate with Muqtada The London daily ash-Sharq al-Awsat reports that attempts to mediate between radical Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr and the US are continuing in Najaf, even as there were further clashes on Monday between armed Shiite groups and Polish and Bulgarian troops in the other holy city, Karbala. The gunbattles came despite […]

Sistani Threatens Shiite Resistance if US Invades Najaf The Iranian newspaper Baztab is reporting that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has sent a strongly-worded message to the Coalition forces, in which he warned them against attacking the Shiite shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala after the end of Arba’in. According to this report, in this letter […]

More ‘What went Wrong?’ Carol Giacomo quotes an array of policy experts on the problem with the current US strategy in Iraq: ‘ What’s really needed is a viable political process and the building of a consensus – internationally, regionally and locally – to work our way out of this mess,” said retired Army General […]

Cole on Fresh Air I’ve long been a fan of Terry Gross’s NPR show, “Fresh Air.” So am happy to report that I am interviewed in Tuesday’s edition. Just a head’s up for those who asked for one.

US Turns to Negotiations with Insurgents As Riccardi points out, the Bush Administration has abruptly ceased its cowboy rhetoric and says it is willing to consider negotiated settlements to its problems in Sunni Arab Fallujah and in the Shiite south with the militia of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. This approach has surely been forced on the […]

Pentagon Announces Death of 17 US Troops in Iraq; 5 Killed Sunday Nicholas Riccardi of the LA Times (reg. req.) reports that Iraqi guerrillas killed 5 US troops on Sunday, including three in a firefight west of Baghdad and two in a helicopter that they managed to shoot down. The US military also reported 12 […]

Muqtada Aid Denies Seeking Asylum in Iran; Demands release of Hostages The LA Times reported that on Sunday, a spokesman for Muqtada al-Sadr said, “There is no chance that the armies of occupation will reenter Najaf.” Shaykh Abdul Hadi al-Darraji, an al-Sadr aide, did a live telephone interview with Jamal Rayyan of al-Jazeerah on Sunday, […]

Did Badran Resign because Alawi is Out as PM? Or in? al-Hayat: Sources close to the Interim Governing Council say that the resignation of Interior Minister Nuri al-Badran came after a number of hints he was going to resign, because of his conflicts with the Coalition Provisional Authority. He maintains that the CPA refused to […]

Virulent Racism, Disregard for Civilian Life Mar US Military Approach: British Commander Sean Rayment of the Telegraph reports a story today that should be on the front pages of every American newspaper. He reports extremely deep dissatisifaction in the British officer corps with American military counter-insurgency tactics. The critique begins with attitudes. The officer quoted […]