Juan Cole

Authority of Sistani versus Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq Alex Berenson argues in the NYT that Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has much wider support among Iraqi Shiites than Muqtada al-Sadr, and that the latter has actually lost some enthusiasts through a set of recent missteps, including proclaiming a shadow government and trying to take over shrines […]

Armed Sadrists take Back their HQ near Basra Shaikh Murtada al-Hajjaj, the assistant head of the office of Muqtada al-Sadr in Basra, said that 100 Sadrist militiamen succeeded in taking back control of their headquarters in Shatt al-Arab, 3 kilometers south of Basra, from the Iraqi police and British troops that had occupied it last […]

IGC hopes new Finances will Grant more Autonomy from US Some of the reasons for which the US did not initially want a separate fund for UN monies in Iraq may be apparent in an AFP story on the Interim Governing Council wanting more authority than Paul Bremer is willing to grant it. It seems […]

Iranian Intelligence Infiltrates Karbala Abdul Hussein Mahmoud, the caretaker of the mausoleum of Imam Husayn in Karbala alleges that Iranian intelligence agents have slipped into Iraq in the guise of pilgrims visiting the Shiite shrine cities, with the aim of destabilizing Iraq. Likewise, Hashim Abd al-Amir, head of security at the mausoleum, says he has […]

One US soldier Killed, 5 wounded in Iraq Guerrillas exploded an improvised explosive device as a patrol of the 82nd Airborne Division was passing near Fallujah on Monday at 1 pm Iraq time, then attacked with small arms fire (the typical tactic of the low-grade guerrilla war). This was the third attack in two days […]

New UN-controlled Fund for Iraq The Bush administration reluctantly allowed the establishment of a development fund for Iraq that would not be under US control, but rather under that of the UN. Without such an independent account, most potential donor nations were balking at contributing to reconstruction. (I take it the subtext is that they […]

Iraq not on Turkey’s Agenda Turkish Interior Minister Cemil Cicek said Monday that the ball is in the court of the US and the Interim Governing Council with regard to the question of deploying Turkish troops in Iraq. Referring to the sending of troops, Cicek said, “For that to happen, the situation has to move […]

Sharon’s attack on Syria Soured Plan to provide Electricity to Iraq A deal for Syria to provide electricity to northern Iraq in return for exports of Iraqi petroleum, worked out by Colin Powell with Bashar al-Asad, was derailed by the Israeli bombing of an alleged terror training camp in Syria, for which President Bush essentially […]

Kirkuk railway Police Strike for back Pay Hundreds of Kirkuk railway police went on strike Monday, protesting the arrears in their salaries. Demonstrators said they hadn’t been paid for three months.