Juan Cole

Ex-Baath Reservist Officers Recalled in Iraq Az-Zaman: The new minister of defense, Ali Allawi, has called upon all officers in the former Baath military reserves, who have been cleared by US civil administrator Paul Bremer, to report to duty in the Civil Defense Forces. The move comes after a sharp deterioration of security in Iraq’s […]

Sadrists Stockpile Weapons in Najaf Mosques, Schools AP reports that a US general has said that he will move US troops into a base just near the holy city of Najaf as Spanish troops depart. He said that US troops would stay away from the shrine of Imam Ali inside the city. Paul Bremer (-az-Zaman) […]

60% of Documentation for Modern Iraqi History Lost Ash-Sharq al-Awsat/ AFP have an article on the impact of the looting last April after the fall of the regime on the documentation for modern Iraqi history. The article maintains that 60% of the documents are gone, most of them burned. The loss is especially extensive for […]

Poll: 57% of Americans Believe Saddam Gave Substantial Support to al-Qaeda A new poll shows that as of mid-March, 57% of Americans believed that Saddam Hussein had given substantial support to al-Qaeda. Worse, 45% actually say that “clear evidence” has been found in Iraq to support this allegation! As for weapons of mass destruction 45 […]

Iranian Diplomat Says a US attack on Najaf will Lead to Widespread Crisis throughout Iraq From the ISNA website, via by BBC World Monitoring: Iranian charge d’affaires to Iraq, Hasan Kazemi-Qomi made several statements at the Iranian Students News Agency site on 23 April: ‘ “If the occupying forces disregard the internal political, social and […]

40 Killed in Another Bloody Iraq Saturday At Least 5 US Soldiers Dead; Unknown US Casualties in Haswa, Kut Boat Bombers Strike Basra Vessels, Kill 2 As sun sets on Saturday in Iraq, it pulls a shroud over the charnel house the country has become. Suicide boat bombers drew their dhow up alongside a ship […]

Muqtada al-Sadr Warns He will Unleash Kamikaze Bombers if Najaf is Attacked Bulgarian Soldier Killed in Clash at Karbala ash-Sharq al-Awsat: Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Mahdi Army militia, said in his Friday prayers sermon at the Kufa mosque on Friday that he will resort to the use of suicide bombings in confronting the American-led […]

Is Chalabi Out? Brahimi Plan advances, Baathists Rehabilitated The intrepid Robin Wright and Walter Pincus at the Washington Post argue that the Brahimi plan for Iraq could forestall the coronation of Ahmad Chalabi as Iraq’s America-installed prince. Brahimi favors appointing four technocrats from outside the Interim Governing Council, leaving IGC members to organize themselves for […]

What is to Be Done in Iraq?: Polk Guest Commentary By William R. Polk ‘ While C.I.A. director George J. Tenet struggles in Washington to prove that his agency did not exaggerate the danger Iraq posed to the United States, American forces continue to come under attack on the ground throughout Iraq. Misunderstanding is evident […]