Juan Cole

Fateful US Choices in Iraq Rory McCarthy, writing for the Guardian from Baghdad, has outlined the new policy options facing Paul Bremer now that his original 7-stage plan has been abandoned. “Plans now being considered include: · Letting an enlarged governing council immediately take over the responsibilities of a transitional government · Enlarging the governing […]

Blackwill, NSC tapped to take over Iraq from Rumsfeld Reliable diplomatic sources in New York have told al-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper that the Bush administration has decided to reduce the role of the Department of Defense in Iraq and to gradually give that responsibility to the National Security Council and the White House. They said that […]

New Poll Shows Public thinks it was Misled on Iraq From The Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland: “No Clear Consensus For or Against Decision to Go To War Support for Iraq Reconstruction Undaunted For Release: Nov. 13, 2003, 12:15 pm Contact: Steven Kull (202) 232-7500 College Park, MD: According to […]

Move to Early Turnover of Civil Authority in Iraq? One outcome of Paul Bremer’s frantic consultations in Washington on the rapidly deteriorating Iraq situation appears to have been a decision to move to some sort of sovereign Iraqi government quickly, and to worry about the writing of a constitution later. Although this decision is long […]

Japan Pulls Out; S. Korea Reduces Planned Force The car bombing of the Italian police station at Nasiriyah has had the results the guerrillas were aiming at. Japan has now formally announced that it won’t send peacekeeping troops to Iraq. South Korea had been being pressed by the US to send 10,000 troops, including combat […]

US Army Confiscates Journalists’ Videotape Some thirty media outlets are protesting that the US military on the ground in Iraq is interfering with their coverage of the ongoing military operations there, in contradiction of the Pentagon’s own guidelines. They say equipment, including cameras and videotapes, have been confiscated, and journalists have been harassed. Since the […]

Two US Soldiers dead Guerrillas killed a US soldier with a roadside bomb near Taji on Wednesday. Another soldier died of wounds incurred in a roadside bombing in Baghdad. The American military compound in the northern city of Mosul took rocket-propelled grenade fire Wednesday. An Iraqi paramilitary was killed in Mosul during the attacks.

Talabani foresees Provisional Government preceding a new Constitution Interim Iraqi president Jalal Talabani conceded Wednesday that it might be better to establish a provisional Iraqi government before producing a constitution. Talabani said, “I think it is very reasonable and necessary to have a provisional government before having a constitution.”

US almost Kills Ayatolah Bahr al-Ulum Ayatollah Muhammad Bahr al-Ulum, a member of the US-appointed Interim Governing Council, barely avoided being killed by a US soldier on Wednesday. The soldier opened fire by mistake on the ayatollah’s automobile as it was entering the grounds of the US headquarters, wounding Bahr al-Ulum’s driver in the thigh. […]