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The Iraqi constitution’s downside for women Reprint. The Globe and Mail (Toronto) The Iraqi constitution’s downside for women By JUAN COLE Thursday, September 1, 2005, Page A21 One of George W. Bush’s justifications for his Iraq project has been the Greater Middle East Initiative, a long-term plan to bring democracy to the Arab world. So: […]

Sistani Calls on Government to fulfill its Duties Najaf Furious about Bridge Stampede, calls for Investigation Al-Hayat: Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani on Thursday called on the Iraqi government to “fulfill its legal responsibilities” with regard to the tragic stampede at the al-A’imah Bridge, which led to the deaths of 965 persons. In a statement issued […]

Message from a New Orleans Refugee Message from a New Orleans refugee: ‘ I am emailing everyone I can to say this (it is 9:53 a.m., Thursday, September 1, three days after the storm): Please contact any gov’t. officials you know, and pressure them to get more troops and resources here. People are still dying. […]

Liberal Blogosphere for Hurricane Relief Kari Chisholm and Chris Bowers write ‘Hurricane Katrina has devastated thousands of lives. Today, we’re announcing a coordinated effort by the liberal/progressive blogosphere to help the victims of the devastation. Together, we’re going to raise $1 million for the American Red Cross – and prove that the liberal blogosphere can […]

Stampede Catastrophe Brings Dissension, Unity Bush’s polling numbers drop A Sadrist cabinet member responded to the horrific crushing of over 1000 persons in a crowd of worshippers on its way to the Shiite shrine in Kadhimiyah by calling for the resignation of the Minister of the Interior and the Defense Minister. Interior is controlled by […]

New Orleans as a Casualty of Iraq Bob Harris’s take on the story of how resources for levees and floodworks for New Orleans, along with the Louisiana National Guard, were diverted to Iraq, strikes me as balanced and right. The nation made a decision about priorities. Tax cuts and the Iraq War came first. In […]

Seven Questions: Framing Iraq’s Constitution My interview on the Iraqi Constitution with Foreign Policy magazine is up at their web site.

Weblogging Liability The question of whether Weblog owners are legally liable for comments made by readers could be settled by a current lawsuit. A lot of forces in US society are very upset about the emergence of an Information Democracy on the Web, and I think the courts will increasingly be invoked to close down […]

1000 May be Dead in Kadhimiyah Stampede The mortar attack by guerrillas on the Shiite worshippers heading for the shrine of Imam Musa al-Kadhim made the crowd nervous and suggestible. Later on, it appears that someone shouted that there was a suicide bomber in the crowd. A stampede ensued that has killed some 800 persons […]