For the first time since the media frenzy about this horrid massacre started, I read an opinion in the Boston Globe, that finally raised the issue of gun possession and the powerful NRA. It was about time. Nothing will change so long as crazies are allowed to own guns. I will donate out of sheer sympathy, but feel that my donation is for naught.
As anyone who reads the Washington Report on Middle-East Affairs would know, the Jerusalem as capital of Israel bromide has come up for a vote several times, and several times saner heads have prevailed.
A great many people see Iranian hegemony in the region in the near future, especially if the US and Iran ink a deal regarding their nuclear ambitions, thereby easing sanctions. They fear that Iranian (Shii) hegemony would be far worse than what Daesh has wrought and continuing to geographically grow their caliphate, a sine qua non of their existence. They also see a bleak future of all out war between Sunnis and Shias, with Sunnis making a de facto alliance with Daesh.
What about Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, undermining the rule of law in Lebanon, getting in the way of electing a Lebanese president, and sending combatants to the Lebanese border with Syria and into Syria under the pretext of fighting off Daesh attempts at invading Lebanese territory? Isn't all this aided, financed, and abetted by the Iranian regime? that said, I appreciate very much your well reasoned attempt at even-handedness.
I posted your comment on my FB page. Here's an interesting reaction from one of my French friends. (I'm translating from French): Not bad but it's a fantasy to think that the French will create the concept of imprisonment for life for terrorists. The worst criminals get out of jail after 28 years. The maximum term is 28 years. And anyway, these people preach their brand of Islam while in jail. (Original text: Pas mal. Mais il rêve si il imagine que les Français vont créer de la prison à vie pour les terroristes. Les pires criminels ressortent au bout de 28 ans. La perpétuité ne dépasse pas 28 ans. Et puis de toutes les façons, ces gens-là font du prosélytisme en prison.)
Dear Juan,
What about Saudi Arabia? The elephant in the room? It's clerics have been silent as far as I can tell. SA continues to export and foment hatred. Am I right?
Strengthening the "moderate" laugh out loud rebellion against the regime of Bashar Al Assad will not work. First, these bandits are Islamist extremists themselves, hiding under sheep's clothing. Second, their numbers will never equate Assad's army of 250,000 active personnel, not counting the military reserves, and not including Assad's firepower amply furnished by Russia and China. Everyone in the Middle-East and starting with the USA, seems to brush this important point aside as just a passing annoyance. For peace to reign in this part of the world, Iran and Bashar's Syria need to be actively enrolled. Of course it is not in Saudi Arabia or Qatar's interest to see Bashar Al Assad's regime kept in place. It is a threat to their theocracy. It is a threat to their continued IS ideology and their nurturing of it. Their current collaboration with the US in the fight against ISIS is just lip service for untold quid pro quo that the article utterly fails to clarify.
The woman talking to her mother has a distinctly North-African accent in French. Therefore, she's a Muslim and she was probably constantly harassed by her in-laws. So now she has a freedom of sorts with only her husband by her side. I don't blame her.
Obama's strategy will not work. It's glaringly obvious. Entering into a silent and tacit alliance (to save face) with Assad and Iran is the only thing that will get rid of the scourge. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have always been two-faced nations that cannot be trusted. Al Jazeera and a declared fight against IS on the one hand, and Madrassas, arming of IS etc on the other. Why would they now suddenly change? I totally agree with Tulsa Time. It is complete theater that will cost us dearly for many years to come. I see the hand of Israel behind this unbelievably ridiculous strategy.
Nowhere do I see in the tea leaves or the Turkish coffee mud how he plans to bomb ISIS in Syria without Bashar's consent. Wondering how all this is going to play out. With Bashar still at the helm, there is no danger of Yemenization IMHO.
You may think it's anathema but I don't care one bit what you all think. I want Assad to stay in power. He's our last bulwark against complete anarchy and ISIS type mullahs in the near east. Enough with Islam. Secularism, even the dictatorial one, is far better.
My father, born in Kufr Yassif, not far from Acre, was Protestant, due to a twist of history in the days of his grand-father who converted from Greek Orthodox to Protestant in exchange for the Protestant missionaries building a school, etc. there are hardly any Roman Catholics in the ME. All are melkites (Greek catholic).
How can Gulf monarchies support the Egyptian military against the Muslim Brotherhood while Qatar floods the Syrian rebels with arms, knowing full well that if the rebellion wins, Syria will become an islamic state?
Egyptians remember that they turned to Moscow for the building of the Aswan Dam and military aid due to disagreement with the US. Why not a repeat of this scenario?
What has Saudi Arabia done for the benefit of humanity so far? Nothing, zilch, nada. All they do is export oil and terrorism minded people. They also export madrassas,to Pakistan for example. The oil they export is not even extracted by the Saudis. With their trillions in riches, they could have bought up the entire US Congress away from AIPAC and actually done something about Palestine. Instead, they pout like spoiled brats which they are. Give me a break.
The Egyptian national character IS a great sense of humor. I have not encountered a single Egyptian who didn't have a great sense of humor. Morsi cannot erase the fundamental nature of his people by arresting those who offend him humorously. It makes no sense but clerics and their cousins in power (the brotherhood) are rarely a humorous bunch be they Muslim or Christian.
Some of the items on the list would be happily endorsed and voted into law by a bunch of crazies in the US Congress. It's getting harder for women everywhere.
The irony is that Charlie Rose, in an interview with Dan Ayalon(?), former Shin Bet(?), of about three months ago, made exactly the same prediction, a Sunni arc to supplant Iranian and Hizb power, aided and abetted by Israel.
"Why can Americans sympathize with the patients at the Langone Hospital in New York, but are actively complicit in the energy shortages afflicting Gaza hospitals?"
That's a bit of an overstatement. Americans, other than those who read your blog and similar ones, a rarity, simply don't know what is going on in Gaza. Those less of a rarity who listen to NPR get hasbara. So how do you get the word out? I personally don't have an answer to this question.
Wow. No words can describe my shock. It's worse than being stopped/questioned/searched at the Syrian/Jordanian border at a time when everything in that region was FINE.
Dramatization and exaggeration are typical of the MSM in the US. I visited my family in Beirut in the second half of September. You wouldn't believe the calls I got from worried US friends. Of course nothing was happening. The pope had come and gone, and Hizbollah held a massive but peaceful rally in the Dahiya. Duh.
I am completely and utterly outraged. This article and others by Juan Cole are required reading for the likes of Elizabeth Warren, Scott Brown, and every one else in this congress or the future one. Warren's website on the I/P issue and Iran's nuclear weapons is entirely provided by AIPAC. Both candidates have received funds from AIPAC. Nothing compared to what Adelson is giving Romney but everything is relative.
I can't begin to imagine what his visit to Israel will be like. A sycophantic bluster at best. Wonder why he's only visiting the UK, Poland, and Israel. Is he unwanted everywhere else?
This screams about the inanity of Time magazine who also peddled the WMD in Iraq like no other publication. The worst of it is that they never apologize for their stupidity.
Gee thanks, what a relief to not be invaded in the last 6 years. Lebanon is still reeling from this attack. Humanely (cluster bombs are still killing kids), economically (our power grid is no even half of what it used to be), and politically (has irreversibly strengthened the hand of Hizbullah). So all in all a stupid and criminal mistake.
I want this story to continue and be amplified to the 4 corners of the earth until Limbaugh ends in Limbohell. Juan is perfectly right to talk about it and leave Syria alone for a minute.
Obama gave a superb speech yesterday, I totally agree. And I whole heartedly support his decision to lead/join the effort against Kaddhafi.
Sadly, there is some underlying hypocrisy regarding the defense of our values, especially regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hope springs eternal!
Frank LeFever, No, never. But Lebanon urgently needs to move on if it ever hopes to keep its 10,000 sq Kms on the map. The Christian militias stood down and disarmed after the Taef accords. Many of their members joined the army. Hezbollah needs to do the same and let the Lebanese army handle Israel. Iran should be supporting the latter, not the former against the latter.
That's all well and good but I'm deeply bothered by this very public display of Iranian support for Lebanon. Under the radar support is bad enough as it is. I'm a christian Lebanese which is why I'm so conflicted about this whole business of Iranian support to Hezbollah who are wreaking havoc in local politics. The Lebanese State, if ever there was one, has become hostage to Hezbollah's power and is unable to govern or even run the country's daily affairs. Hezbollah is a state within a state, with it's own military, telecommunications, media, and all the trappings of power. Hezbollah has indeed fought to protect Lebanon's integrity against Israel's onslaught and I will not take this away from them, but enough is enough already.
I've taken the liberty to quote you (and cited your name) today in an email message to my rep. Ed Markey. Thank you for putting my thoughts into such well-honed words.
Zionists now feel that they are being pushed into a corner, hence their hysterically defensive attitude. However, any remnants of secular Zionism are aggressively being taken over by ultra religious Zionism. An Israeli colleague spilled to me his anguish about irrational extremism being felt in every corner of Israel. He says that it's getting worse every day.
A question Prof. Cole. The word Hasbara sounds very much like the Arabic word Kasbara, derived from 'Kasb' i.e., lie. So Kasbara is a bunch of lies. Are the two words related?
I take this opportunity to let you know that like your new website very much. Your blog is the first thing I look at in the morning. The above is a brilliant analysis of the nuclear deal struck by Iran, Turkey, and Brazil and I agree with your conclusion because there cannot be another explanation for this farce.
© 2026 All Rights Reserved
Thank you for this. I wonder why there are still a few million uninsured.
For the first time since the media frenzy about this horrid massacre started, I read an opinion in the Boston Globe, that finally raised the issue of gun possession and the powerful NRA. It was about time. Nothing will change so long as crazies are allowed to own guns. I will donate out of sheer sympathy, but feel that my donation is for naught.
link to bostonglobe.com
Oh my God.
Totally agree with you. This is the best option for a currently very wobbly US.
As anyone who reads the Washington Report on Middle-East Affairs would know, the Jerusalem as capital of Israel bromide has come up for a vote several times, and several times saner heads have prevailed.
Thank you for this excellent history lesson. You readers may also refer to the Shlomo Sand book: The invention of the Jewish people
link to amazon.com
Dear Prof. Cole,
A great many people see Iranian hegemony in the region in the near future, especially if the US and Iran ink a deal regarding their nuclear ambitions, thereby easing sanctions. They fear that Iranian (Shii) hegemony would be far worse than what Daesh has wrought and continuing to geographically grow their caliphate, a sine qua non of their existence. They also see a bleak future of all out war between Sunnis and Shias, with Sunnis making a de facto alliance with Daesh.
What about Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, undermining the rule of law in Lebanon, getting in the way of electing a Lebanese president, and sending combatants to the Lebanese border with Syria and into Syria under the pretext of fighting off Daesh attempts at invading Lebanese territory? Isn't all this aided, financed, and abetted by the Iranian regime? that said, I appreciate very much your well reasoned attempt at even-handedness.
I posted your comment on my FB page. Here's an interesting reaction from one of my French friends. (I'm translating from French): Not bad but it's a fantasy to think that the French will create the concept of imprisonment for life for terrorists. The worst criminals get out of jail after 28 years. The maximum term is 28 years. And anyway, these people preach their brand of Islam while in jail. (Original text: Pas mal. Mais il rêve si il imagine que les Français vont créer de la prison à vie pour les terroristes. Les pires criminels ressortent au bout de 28 ans. La perpétuité ne dépasse pas 28 ans. Et puis de toutes les façons, ces gens-là font du prosélytisme en prison.)
Dear Juan,
What about Saudi Arabia? The elephant in the room? It's clerics have been silent as far as I can tell. SA continues to export and foment hatred. Am I right?
From your mouth to god's ears!
What do you say to those who pontificate (Thomas Friedman) about the fact that there is no one to talk to on the Palestinian side?
Strengthening the "moderate" laugh out loud rebellion against the regime of Bashar Al Assad will not work. First, these bandits are Islamist extremists themselves, hiding under sheep's clothing. Second, their numbers will never equate Assad's army of 250,000 active personnel, not counting the military reserves, and not including Assad's firepower amply furnished by Russia and China. Everyone in the Middle-East and starting with the USA, seems to brush this important point aside as just a passing annoyance. For peace to reign in this part of the world, Iran and Bashar's Syria need to be actively enrolled. Of course it is not in Saudi Arabia or Qatar's interest to see Bashar Al Assad's regime kept in place. It is a threat to their theocracy. It is a threat to their continued IS ideology and their nurturing of it. Their current collaboration with the US in the fight against ISIS is just lip service for untold quid pro quo that the article utterly fails to clarify.
The woman talking to her mother has a distinctly North-African accent in French. Therefore, she's a Muslim and she was probably constantly harassed by her in-laws. So now she has a freedom of sorts with only her husband by her side. I don't blame her.
If it weren't criminal, it would be hilarious. A must read at any rate.
Obama's strategy will not work. It's glaringly obvious. Entering into a silent and tacit alliance (to save face) with Assad and Iran is the only thing that will get rid of the scourge. Saudi Arabia and Qatar have always been two-faced nations that cannot be trusted. Al Jazeera and a declared fight against IS on the one hand, and Madrassas, arming of IS etc on the other. Why would they now suddenly change? I totally agree with Tulsa Time. It is complete theater that will cost us dearly for many years to come. I see the hand of Israel behind this unbelievably ridiculous strategy.
Nowhere do I see in the tea leaves or the Turkish coffee mud how he plans to bomb ISIS in Syria without Bashar's consent. Wondering how all this is going to play out. With Bashar still at the helm, there is no danger of Yemenization IMHO.
You may think it's anathema but I don't care one bit what you all think. I want Assad to stay in power. He's our last bulwark against complete anarchy and ISIS type mullahs in the near east. Enough with Islam. Secularism, even the dictatorial one, is far better.
Thank you Mr. Bourdain.
My father, born in Kufr Yassif, not far from Acre, was Protestant, due to a twist of history in the days of his grand-father who converted from Greek Orthodox to Protestant in exchange for the Protestant missionaries building a school, etc. there are hardly any Roman Catholics in the ME. All are melkites (Greek catholic).
Brilliant.
Always very good. Thanks Juan.
My first go-to blog. Fantastic!
Absolutely revolting.
How can Gulf monarchies support the Egyptian military against the Muslim Brotherhood while Qatar floods the Syrian rebels with arms, knowing full well that if the rebellion wins, Syria will become an islamic state?
Egyptians remember that they turned to Moscow for the building of the Aswan Dam and military aid due to disagreement with the US. Why not a repeat of this scenario?
What has Saudi Arabia done for the benefit of humanity so far? Nothing, zilch, nada. All they do is export oil and terrorism minded people. They also export madrassas,to Pakistan for example. The oil they export is not even extracted by the Saudis. With their trillions in riches, they could have bought up the entire US Congress away from AIPAC and actually done something about Palestine. Instead, they pout like spoiled brats which they are. Give me a break.
The Egyptian national character IS a great sense of humor. I have not encountered a single Egyptian who didn't have a great sense of humor. Morsi cannot erase the fundamental nature of his people by arresting those who offend him humorously. It makes no sense but clerics and their cousins in power (the brotherhood) are rarely a humorous bunch be they Muslim or Christian.
Excellent recap. Please keep these coming. And thanks!
Some of the items on the list would be happily endorsed and voted into law by a bunch of crazies in the US Congress. It's getting harder for women everywhere.
Brilliant. Nothing to add.
The irony is that Charlie Rose, in an interview with Dan Ayalon(?), former Shin Bet(?), of about three months ago, made exactly the same prediction, a Sunni arc to supplant Iranian and Hizb power, aided and abetted by Israel.
Not a word that is not fed by hasbara pure and simple. Since everything is hunky dory there, why don't you take a trip and see for yourself?
Spelling correct. Rami is of Palestinian descent.
Thanks Prof. Cole!
"Why can Americans sympathize with the patients at the Langone Hospital in New York, but are actively complicit in the energy shortages afflicting Gaza hospitals?"
That's a bit of an overstatement. Americans, other than those who read your blog and similar ones, a rarity, simply don't know what is going on in Gaza. Those less of a rarity who listen to NPR get hasbara. So how do you get the word out? I personally don't have an answer to this question.
Wow. No words can describe my shock. It's worse than being stopped/questioned/searched at the Syrian/Jordanian border at a time when everything in that region was FINE.
Dramatization and exaggeration are typical of the MSM in the US. I visited my family in Beirut in the second half of September. You wouldn't believe the calls I got from worried US friends. Of course nothing was happening. The pope had come and gone, and Hizbollah held a massive but peaceful rally in the Dahiya. Duh.
I am completely and utterly outraged. This article and others by Juan Cole are required reading for the likes of Elizabeth Warren, Scott Brown, and every one else in this congress or the future one. Warren's website on the I/P issue and Iran's nuclear weapons is entirely provided by AIPAC. Both candidates have received funds from AIPAC. Nothing compared to what Adelson is giving Romney but everything is relative.
Close your eyes Dale and we're in Korea with Dear Leader.
I can't begin to imagine what his visit to Israel will be like. A sycophantic bluster at best. Wonder why he's only visiting the UK, Poland, and Israel. Is he unwanted everywhere else?
Hello Juan,
Fisk doesn't entirely agree with you.
link to independent.co.uk
It's an unstoppable tragedy and one that will no doubt spill over into Lebanese territory (it already has).
This screams about the inanity of Time magazine who also peddled the WMD in Iraq like no other publication. The worst of it is that they never apologize for their stupidity.
Gee thanks, what a relief to not be invaded in the last 6 years. Lebanon is still reeling from this attack. Humanely (cluster bombs are still killing kids), economically (our power grid is no even half of what it used to be), and politically (has irreversibly strengthened the hand of Hizbullah). So all in all a stupid and criminal mistake.
Excellent. Shared on FB.
Other than the Zimmerman story(ies) that constitute(s) only a piece of that CNN page, the rest is total junk.
Love this piece Juan!
I want this story to continue and be amplified to the 4 corners of the earth until Limbaugh ends in Limbohell. Juan is perfectly right to talk about it and leave Syria alone for a minute.
Excellent timing!
Thanks Juan.
It's all very sad. I'm also sad for the loss of Anthony Shadid.
"how Britain and France helped the Arab revolt 1916-18, with a small numbers of advisers, money, tactical advice and fast armored cars."
Yeah, and who won? The Arabs?
I'm speechless.
Brilliant suggestions all around.
Love it!
Obama gave a superb speech yesterday, I totally agree. And I whole heartedly support his decision to lead/join the effort against Kaddhafi.
Sadly, there is some underlying hypocrisy regarding the defense of our values, especially regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hope springs eternal!
Brilliant and incisive.
Frank LeFever, No, never. But Lebanon urgently needs to move on if it ever hopes to keep its 10,000 sq Kms on the map. The Christian militias stood down and disarmed after the Taef accords. Many of their members joined the army. Hezbollah needs to do the same and let the Lebanese army handle Israel. Iran should be supporting the latter, not the former against the latter.
That's all well and good but I'm deeply bothered by this very public display of Iranian support for Lebanon. Under the radar support is bad enough as it is. I'm a christian Lebanese which is why I'm so conflicted about this whole business of Iranian support to Hezbollah who are wreaking havoc in local politics. The Lebanese State, if ever there was one, has become hostage to Hezbollah's power and is unable to govern or even run the country's daily affairs. Hezbollah is a state within a state, with it's own military, telecommunications, media, and all the trappings of power. Hezbollah has indeed fought to protect Lebanon's integrity against Israel's onslaught and I will not take this away from them, but enough is enough already.
I've taken the liberty to quote you (and cited your name) today in an email message to my rep. Ed Markey. Thank you for putting my thoughts into such well-honed words.
Excellent rebuttal. Glick is a sad loser.
Zionists now feel that they are being pushed into a corner, hence their hysterically defensive attitude. However, any remnants of secular Zionism are aggressively being taken over by ultra religious Zionism. An Israeli colleague spilled to me his anguish about irrational extremism being felt in every corner of Israel. He says that it's getting worse every day.
And to think that Prince Talal (Al-Waleed bin Talal) owns 7% of News Corp (Fox News) makes you wonder.
Ottoman Empire deja vu?
A question Prof. Cole. The word Hasbara sounds very much like the Arabic word Kasbara, derived from 'Kasb' i.e., lie. So Kasbara is a bunch of lies. Are the two words related?
Obama, Obama, are you reading this?
Dear Juan,
I take this opportunity to let you know that like your new website very much. Your blog is the first thing I look at in the morning. The above is a brilliant analysis of the nuclear deal struck by Iran, Turkey, and Brazil and I agree with your conclusion because there cannot be another explanation for this farce.
Nayla