By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The London pan-Arab daily al-Quds al-`Arabi reports that the truce that began Monday night held during its first twenty-four hours, in the areas designated for a cease-fire by Russia and the United States. The boom of artillery fire faded away at nightfall on Monday. It coincided […]
What did we buy with the $5 Trillion that the Iraq & Afghanistan Wars have cost us?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – A Boston U. political scientist estimates that as of 2016, The Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have cost the American taxpayers $5 trillion. That number isn’t important when we consider the human cost– Some 7,000 US troops dead, 52,000 wounded in action; hundreds of thousands of Iraqis […]
Iran and Hizbullah Welcome Kerry-Lavrov Syria Ceasefire
Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Hizbullah, the national guard for South Lebanon, announced Saturday that it supports the agreement on a truce in Syria, where its fighters have been battling on behalf of the regime of Bashar al-Assad. Its statement said that “the field commander for operations in Syria has affirmed that […]
15 Years after 9/11, can we Recover our Republic?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Founding Fathers thought keeping a standing army was a danger to democracy. The great wars of the twentieth century appear to have imbued the United States with a permanent standing army, and this institution has been reinforced by the September 11 attacks. Or rather it […]
US and Russia plan Joint Air Command to hit Terrorists in Syria
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Pentagon isn’t going to be happy about this. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced an agreement on a Syria plan between the US and Russia late on Friday, which they said the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad had agreed […]
Nearly 500 more US Troops sent to Iraq for Mosul Attack in advance of Election Day
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Stars and Stripes is reporting that the number of US troops in Iraq has risen from 4,000 to 4,460 in preparation for the Iraqi government campaign against Mosul. The WSJ reported that the government of Iraqi prime minister Haydar al-Abadi wants to begin the campaign in […]
Clinton: No US ground troops in Iraq, Syria; Trump: Steal Iraqi Oil
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The NBC Candidates Forum continued the shameful corporate coverage of the Great American Meltdown that is our election season. That season has given us a Faux Cable News that runs clips of only one side and pays out hush money to cover up how its blonde […]
Saudi Bigot-in-Chief Declares Iranian Shiites “Not Muslim”
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – `Abd al-Aziz Al Shaikh, the chief jurisconsult or mufti for the interpretation of Muslim law in Saudi Arabia, said Wednesday that Iranian Shiites are not Muslims. This statement is a huge step back from the limited progress Saudi had made under the previous king, Abdullah, toward […]
Saudis Should Not Run Hajj Pilgrimage: Iran
TeleSur | – – Pilgrims from Iran will be unable to attend hajj, which starts on Sept. 11 this year after talks between the two countries on arrangements broke down in May. Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei renewed criticism of Saudi Arabia over how it runs the hajj after a crush last year killed […]
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