By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Spanish foreign minister José Manuel García Margallo said Wednesday in the course of a television interview: “At the end of the day, the thesis has begun to clarify that it is the lesser evil to make an agreement with Bashar al-Assad and to thereby achieve a […]
A New Yalta? Can France Craft an alliance of Putin & Obama against Daesh/ISIL?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – French President Francois Hollande is seeking a new relationship with Russia after the attacks on Paris by Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) and the Russian conclusion that a bomb downed a Russian airliner in Egypt’s Sinai last month. Le Monde reports that France and Russia have agreed on […]
2003: Iraqi Governors who did not want Americans in their Country
“Could we have a prudent pause?”
Non-Christian Refugee
Top 10 Reasons Governors are Wrong to Exclude Syrian Refugees
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Some half of US governors have announced their opposition to their states taking in Syrian refugees after the Paris attacks. Although they can bother refugees, they can’t actually dictate to people who are here legally where they can live. But anyway, here are the reasons for […]
Whether Jewish Refugees in ’30s or Syrians today, USA Falls Short of own Ideals
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Reprint ed., slightly revised. More than half of US governors have abruptly announced that they will not welcome Syrian refugees. Governors cannot actually tell people in America where they can live. Germany, a country of 80 million, will take in 800,000 refugees this year, many of […]
Is Daesh/ ISIL a modern Raiding Pirate state?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Some analysts trying to understand Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) had suggested that it differs from al-Qaeda in its emphasis on taking and holding territory, thus becoming a state– something that al-Qaeda was largely uninterested in. They expected the self-proclaimed “caliph” Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to concentrate his resources […]
Dem Candidates reject War Talk, Islamophobia in wake of Paris Attacks
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – At the CBS Democratic Party debate on Saturday night, the Paris attacks dominated as a concern. Unlike the Republican field, which is somewhat divided on the necessary response, the Democrats agree that all-out war is undesirable as a response. (In the GOP, Rand Paul is cautious […]
Terrorism and the Other Religions
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Reprint edn. slightly revised. Contrary to what is alleged by bigots like Bill Maher, Muslims are not more violent than people of other religions. Murder rates in most of the Muslim world are very low compared to the United States. As for political violence, people of […]
© 2026 All Rights Reserved