Juan Cole

Sistani considers the Meeting with the UN Envoy a Success az-Zaman reported today that informed sources affirmed that Lakhdar Brahimi’s report for the United Nations will include a consensus about the importance of holding (direct) elections, and the specification of a new deadline for doing so after the surrender of sovereignty to the Iraqis. This […]

Abizaid Escapes Unharmed from Fallujah Attack The poor security situation in the Sunni heartland was eloquently underlined Thursday when US military commander in Iraq, Gen. John Abizaid, visited Fallujah, which has been a hotbed of anti-American violence and demonstrations. His party came under rocket propelled grenade fire, but the US incurred no casualties. The NPR […]

Ibrahimi, UN, see consensus on Direct Elections UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi met with Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Thursday. On emerging from the meeting in Najaf, he said he agreed on the need to hold (direct) elections, but he asked for “careful preparations” to be made for them. Ash-Sharq al-Awsat noted that Brahimi’s statement came […]

British Official: Basra Shiites who Oppose Sistani and Muqtada Keep Quiet According to the London daily ash-Sharq al-Awsat, an informed Brtish diplomat says that Muqtada al-Sadr and Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani have wide support in the southern, largely Shiite port city of Basra. He said it is to the extent that those who disagree with […]

Americana Translation Project More on the new project I’ve launched, to translate works of American thought, history and culture into Arabic and have them printed, probably in Baghdad, and properly distributed. Some kind readers are already donating to the project, and I am deeply grateful for their generosity. Someone suggested that if any Michigan lawyer […]

Guerrilla War continues in Iraq The London Times reports that another 48 were killed and dozens wounded in a bombing of a police recruitment center in Baghdad on Wednesday. This comes after a similar and even more devastating bombing in Iskandariyah. The Times report has a fascinating aside: ‘It is quite bizarre, but many Iraqis […]

Unemployed plan Protests Al-Zaman reports that the Union of Unemployed Workers has decided to begin its demonstrations outside the headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Interim governing Council again on the coming Sunday. These demonstrations were common last fall, and sometimes turned a bit violent. Although estimates for Iraqi unemployment have fallen, the […]

Iraq to Participate in “Conference of the Neighbors” Interim Iraqi foreign minister Hoshyar Zebari told the Kuwaiti daily al-Qabas Wednesday that Iraq will for the first time participate in a conference of Iraq’s neighbors to be held this Saturday in Kuwait. He said Iraq will be a full and equal participant. The last meeting of […]

Safire gets it wrong: Zarqawi William Safire’s piece, ‘Finally, a smoking gun,’ provoked a lot of dissent among my readers, who asked me to say something. I am waiting to see the Arabic text of the Abu Musab al-Zarqawi letter before commenting on it; I am told it was released today in Baghdad but I […]