Arab World

Senator John McCain (R-AZ) played shameless politics during a hearing on Tuesday on the US withdrawal from Iraq. McCain more or less called Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta a liar to his face when Panetta explained that negotiations with the Iraqi government to keep some US troops in that country faltered on the issue of […]

Energy

Only Green Energy Can Save Yemen

Juan Cole

No one gives any credence to Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s pledge on Monday to step down in 90 days, since he’s made such commitments before and reneged on them. The Yemeni revolution shows no sign of subsiding, but it so far has not been strong enough to displace the president, who has ruled as […]

Libya

Herman Cain Painfully Clueless on Libya

Juan Cole

Herman Cain more or less admits that he has no idea what he would have done about the Libyan Revolution and no idea whether his criticisms of Obama on the conduct of the Libya War are well grounded or not. Cain keeps saying he’d have others do an assessment for him, but our experience with […]

Libya

No, that wasn’t an al-Qaeda Flag over Benghazi

Juan Cole

I asked a Libyan scholar about the silly urban legend going around that an “al-Qaeda” flag flew from a government building in Benghazi recently. Here is what he said: ” I looked up the mentioned flag, it appears to be a black flag with the shahada [Muslim profession of faith] in it. A black flag […]

Syria

Arab League Sets Syria for Suspension

Juan Cole

The Arab League initiated the suspension of Syria’s membership on Saturday, giving Damascus three days to cease shooting down Syrian demonstrators or else the country would be isolated, with AL members withdrawing their ambassadors and Syria losing its voting rights in the body. Aljazeera English has video: This step is the second taken this year […]

Egypt

Pyramids Partially Closed in face of New Age “Threat”

Juan Cole

The Egyptian Antiquities authority partially closed the Pyramids to foreign tourists on Friday, in an attempt to prevent Western New Age groups from holding rituals there. Egypt has been awash in rumors that the “Freemasons” or “the Jews” have designs on the Pyramids. The brouhaha was kicked off because of Friday being 11/11/11, a number […]

Iraq

Newt’s new Crusade against the Arab Spring

Juan Cole

Newt Gingrich’s poll numbers and fund-raising have improved recently, as the GOP faithful continue their quest for an ABM (not anti-ballistic missile but “Anyone but Mitt”). Gingrich in turn has begun trying out talking points again, which is good for pundits and stand-up comedians, but bad for everyone else. In his most recent foray on […]

Iraq

Would Obama Greenlight an Israeli Attack on Iran?

Juan Cole

The Israeli press notes that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and maverick Defense Minister Ehud Barak have been talking up a possible Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. No one knows if the two are just trying to create a threatening environment for Iran, in hopes of intimidating Tehran on a range of issues, […]

Syria

Why a No-Fly Zone won’t Work in Syria

Juan Cole

Syrian troops fired into peaceful demonstrations in Hama and Homs on Friday. Repression of protests yesterday is estimated to have cost 40 lives. The BBC reports that some demonstrators are calling for a “no-fly zone” imposed by the international community on Syria. (The BBC video shows a sign demanding a hazr jawwi or aerial curfew.) […]