By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Jordan’s Arabic daily al-Dustour [Constitution] is reporting on what it calls ‘the Great Battle for Aleppo.’ Such a battle isn’t, ideally, supposed to be taking place, by the terms of the cessation of hostilities reached in late November. The rebels in East Aleppo (pop. 300,000) and […]
The Greater Middle East Reacts to British Exit from EU
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The oil-rich Gulf Cooperation countries may see additional buying opportunities in the British market after Brexit. BBC Monitoring reports: “Political analyst for regional issues and Gulf Cooperation Council Hamad Ahmad Abdul Aziz al-Amer says in Saudi pro-government Ukaz that the Britain’s leaving the EU “might lead […]
Did Trump-Style Islamophobia break up the European Union?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – In a historic referendum, the United Kingdom has voted to leave the European Union. The motivations were complex, including a lack of trust in Prime Minister David Cameron, but it seems undeniable that an irrational fear of Muslim immigrants played at least some part in the […]
As Putin Slams NATO, Russia loses Patience with US-Backed Rebels in Syria
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – On Wednesday President Vladimir Putin addressed the Russian parliament on the 75th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s attack on his country. He said Russia would have to increase its military preparedness given NATO’s “aggressive” actions on Russia’s borders. (He was talking about NATO defensive moves in Poland […]
$206 Mn. to Hate Groups to Promote anti-Muslim Sentiment
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The UC Berkeley Center for Race and Gender and the Council on American Islamic Relations have jointly produced a new study on hatred of Muslims in the United States. As The Guardian notes, it finds 74 organizations promoting hatred of Muslims in the US, with 33 […]
After Trump bashed Brown Immigrants all Year, it’s the British White Guy who tries to Kill Him
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Donald Trump’s blatantly racist attacks on immigrants have all along had as their subtext the implication that there is something wrong with those brown-skinned people and maybe it is unwise to let them in. Trump even said “‘it’s time’ for the UK to depart the European […]
The Palmer Raids: When Trump’s Grandfather and Wives could have been Profiled
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Marx said that every great event in history happens twice, the first time as tragedy and the second time as farce. In this regard, the Red Scare of the late teens and early 20s of the last century, promoted by Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, was […]
Pyrrhic Victory? As Iraq rolls back Daesh, can it stay together as a Country?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – From all accounts, most people in Fallujah are very happy about being out from under the murderous and puritanical rule of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL). But Daesh took the city in January of 2014 for a reason. Locals did not put up much of a fight to […]
The end of the Beginning: The Fall of ISIL in Fallujah
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – After Montgomery and his troops defeated the Germans and Italians at El Alamain in northern Egypt in 1942, Winston Churchill was relieved finally to have some good news after a string of defeats. He said, “Now this is not the end. It is not even the […]
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