Juan Cole

Fallujah Bloodbath threatens US-Appointed Iraqi Government with Collapse AP reported that the US-appointed Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) issued a demand early on Saturday that the US cease its military action against Fallujah and stop employing “collective punishment.” Not only has what many Iraqis call “the puppet council” taken a stand against Bush administration tactics in […]

Tension Remains High in Sadrist Areas Abdul Karim al-Muhammadawi, legendary leader of the Iraqi Hizbullah, which organized the Shiite Marsh Arabs to fight Saddam, has suspended his membership in the Interim Governing Council (IGC) in order to protest American actions in attacking the Sadrist movement. Al-Muhammadawi met Friday with Muqtada al-Sadr, whom the Americans say […]

Muqtada to Bush: Back off or Lose the Election The Saudi London daily ash-Sharq al-Awsat reports that Muqtada al-Sadr called Friday upon US President George W. Bush to “withdraw his forces from Iraq or face a true revolution.” At the same time, one of al-Sadr’s aids affirmed that US civil administrator Paul Bremer had rejected […]

Fighting Rages in Fallujah, Najaf, Karbala; 6 US Troops Dead, Hundreds of Iraqis The US suffered 6 more combat deaths on Wednesday and Thursday. In a CNN interview retired General Barry MacCaffrey said that the task of the US is to regain control of Baghdad and restore its lines of communication in the South. He […]

The Situation in Najaf A kind friend who was able to get a phone call into Najaf reports as follows: ‘ I called my friend in Najaf today Thursday . . . Private internet doesn´t work. Messages bounce. There are though some institutional connections working, like hospitals and other. He told me there is a […]

Muqtada Calls for an End to Hostilities Back to Iraq has posted a link to the text of a proclamation by Muqtada al-Sadr that calls on his followers to cease military operations and to confine themselves to sit-ins in the Kufa mosque. My translation is as follows: ——————– trans. J. Cole: ‘ In the Name […]

Patel on Muqtada al-Sadr David Patel writes from Iraq concerning the allegation that Muqtada is being “run” by the Iran-based cleric Kadhim al-Haeri: ‘ I have been in Basra since Sep and know both Moqtada’s and al-Haeri’s representatives in town. Although al-Haeri is technically Moqtada’s marja and a picture of him hangs in every al-Sadr […]

Gunbattles Rage in Many Iraqi Cities on Wednesday az-Zaman reports ongoing gunbattles in Ramadi and Fallujah between Sunni Arab forces and US marines. It also notes that clashes have broken out in the Adhamiyah and Yarmuk quarters of Baghdad around Umm al-Qura Mosque (these are Sunni areas of the capital). The US killed 40 people […]

Militias Forbidden? And US Hypocrisy Coalition Provisional Authority spokesman Dan Senor, who has often attempted to peddle frankly false stories, was at it again on Wednesday. He said Muqtada al-Sadr was targeted because he maintained a militia. Let’s see: In April of 2003, the US Department of Defense flew Ahmad Chalabi into Iraq with over […]