Featured

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Hillary Clinton gave a victory speech Tuesday night positioning herself as the logical conclusion of the first women’s rights meeting at Seneca Falls in 1848. Along the way, other milestones have included women gaining the right to vote, in 1919 and the first woman elected to […]

Europe

France: White Terrorist not investigated for Terrorism even when he Vows attacks

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – So Gregoire Moutaux, 25, was arrested last month by Ukraine. The French national had a large cache of deadly weapons. Ukraine Intelligence chief Vasyl Hrytsak said, “The Frenchman spoke negatively of the activities of his government on mass migration of foreigners to France, the spread of […]

BDS Occupied Territories

Israel-First McCarthyism: Cuomo’s vow to spy on, punish BDS Activists in long Tradition

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – After New York governor Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order directing the state to monitor and sanction activists in the Boycott, Sanctions and Divest Movement (BDS) against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, critics complained that the order is McCarthyism. They objected that […]

Featured

Syrian Gov’t Troops enter ISIL-held al-Raqqa Province, racing against US Allies

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Syrian troops, aided by a Homs-based pro-government militia the ‘Falcons of the Desert’ and under the cover of Russian air support, entered al-Raqqa Province from Hama for the first time in two years on Saturday. The southern half of al-Raqqa province is one of two major […]

Featured

Sufi Boxer Muhammad Ali’s last fight was against Extremism & Politicians’ Islamophobia

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Boxer Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kentucky, on 17 January 1942, is dead at 74. Ali was on the US team for the Rome Olympics in 1960, and became the Olympic light-heavyweight champion. He and the team were lionized when he came back. […]

Featured

Baghdad advances on Fallujah but “slows down” for fear of Civilian Casualties

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar al-Abadi said Thursday that his troops were in position to move into the city of Fallujah from the south, after advances made during the past two days, but that he would “slow down” the assault for fear of civilians trapped in the […]

Featured

As US/ Kurdish force Moves on ISIL at Manbij, Turkey goes Ballistic

contributors

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The left-leaning Beirut daily al-Safir (Ambassador) points out that less than two weeks after the Syrian Democratic Forces announced their campaign against al-Raqqa, the capital of the phony caliphate of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), the SDF instead has veered off to the west in a bid to […]

Featured

ISIL counter-attack in Fallujah: can Iraqi Forces maintain momentum?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The London pan-Arab daily al-Hayat [Life] reports that Iraqi troops are advancing on Fallujah despite facing fierce resistance from Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) . At the same time, fear is mounting abot the fate of the tens of thousands of non-combatants inside the city who are caught […]

Bill of Rights

Dear Mr. Holder: Why Ed Snowden can’t get a Fair Trial in your National Security State

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Former US Attorney General Eric Holder said in an interview that what NSA whistle blower Edward Snowden did was illegal but added “”We can certainly argue about the way in which Snowden did what he did, but I think that he actually performed a public service […]