On Christmas Day, I like to recall the significance of Jesus and the nativity for Muslims. I’ve talked about Rumi, Attar, and other mystics. Today […]
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Cole in Salon: The Poisonous Legacy of Karl Rove
My Salon column is out: The poisonous rhetorical legacy of Karl Rove Even Fox’s Chris Wallace wants to know why Bush’s newly departed advisor had […]
Mortar Shells Kill 10 in downtown Baghdad US Mil organizes Sunni Neighborhood Watch
The NYT reports that the US military is setting up neighborhood militias in Sunni Arab areas, called “Guardians,” to patrol and curb Salafi Jihadi gangs. […]
Eagan Guest Op-Ed A Vietnam Vet Recognizes Iraq Frustrations
In response to the NYT op-ed by specialists and sergeants on Sunday, Jerry Eagan writes with his own experiences: Dr. Cole. In July, 1967, while […]
Al-Hashimi’s Party will not Rejoin Government For Now; NYT Op-Ed from Soldiers on the Ground
As Bill Maher has quipped, we have had a balanced set of commentaries on the Iraq War on television news. We have heard from the […]
Ammar al-Hakim
The USG Open Source Center translates a recent speech of Ammar al-Hakim, who is functioning as acting leader of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council while […]
Maliki Seeks Sunni Support in Tikrit 4 Party Coalition slammed as Elitist Expatriates
Al-Hayat reports in Arabic that the purpose of PM Nuri al-Maliki’s visit to Tikrit (Saddam Hussein’s old home base) was to convince some tribal notables […]
4-Party Coalition for al-Maliki; Basra Deteriorating; 9 Dead in Baghdad Bombing
Four parties have formed a coalition in parliament to support Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. They are the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the Islamic Call (Da`wa) […]
Pan Arab Talk Shows on Iraq: OSC
Here are the Iraq-related conversations in the USG Open Source Center roundup of Pan-Arab satellite talk shows for the past week. For the non-Iraq portions, […]
Thousands of Sadrists Protest Arrests; Sinjar Bombings Worst Ever
Patrick Cockburn correctly put the bombings in Sinjar province in the context of the upcoming referendum on whether the oil-rich Kirkuk province will accede to […]