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Juan Cole

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On the Seventh Anniversary of September 11: Time to Declare the original al-Qaeda Defeated

On the Seventh Anniversary of September 11: Time to Declare the original al-Qaeda Defeated

Juan Cole

The original al-Qaeda is defeated. It is a dangerous thing for an analyst to say, because obviously radical Muslim extremists may at some point set off some more bombs and then everyone will point fingers and say how wrong I was. So let me be very clear that I do not mean that radical Muslim […]

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Why is lying an acceptable tactic, asset, even, in campaigning for the most important job in the world?

Why is lying an acceptable tactic, asset, even, in campaigning for the most important job in the world?

Juan Cole

E. J. Dionne: Does the Truth Matter any More? Subtitled at Reddit.com, “Why is lying an acceptable tactic, asset, even, in campaigning for the most important job in the world? “ John McCain wasted all that time trying to control big money in politics and got slapped down by the courts. Maybe he would have […]

Iraq
Iraq F-16 Purchase Roils Relations with Kurds; Bush’s Minimal Withdrawal Points to Minimal Gains; Al-Maliki’s Head of Security Injured

Iraq F-16 Purchase Roils Relations with Kurds; Bush’s Minimal Withdrawal Points to Minimal Gains; Al-Maliki’s Head of Security Injured

Juan Cole

Al-Hayat reports in Arabic that a big dispute has broken out between the three largest blocs in parliament. The government has so far been characterized by an alliance of the Shiite Iraqi Accord Front with the Kurdistan Alliance. But now the Shiites want to equip the Iraqi military with F-16s. The day before yesterday, the […]

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Eyewitnesses: Palin Asked Repeatedly about Removing Books: Eyewitness: "No Way it was Rhetorical."

Eyewitnesses: Palin Asked Repeatedly about Removing Books: Eyewitness: "No Way it was Rhetorical."

Juan Cole

Despite the whitewashing attempt being made by the Republican Party, it is obvious to me that the allegation stands, that Palin inquired pointedly and repeatedly with the Wasilla librarian about how to remove objectionable books from the library. “Mary Ellen Emmons was Wasilla’s librarian at the time. She told a local newspaper, the Mat-Su Valley […]

Iraq
Dirty Wars in Baghdad

Dirty Wars in Baghdad

Juan Cole

We know Iraq has been the scene of several wars in recent years. But it seems increasingly clear that it has been a set of dirty wars. Al-Hayat reports in Arabic that Ali al-Lami, an Iraqi politician, protege of Ahmad Chalabi,and member of the Debaathification Committee,is being charged by a high unnamed American official with […]

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Cole in Salon: What’s the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists?

Cole in Salon: What’s the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists?

Juan Cole

My column has appeared in Salon.com, What’s the difference between Palin and Muslim fundamentalists? Lipstick! Excerpt: ‘ The GOP vice-presidential pick holds that abortion should be illegal, even in cases of rape, incest or severe birth defects, making an exception only if the life of the mother is in danger. She calls abortion an “atrocity” […]

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Drake: In Pursuit of Osama Bin Laden

Drake: In Pursuit of Osama Bin Laden

Juan Cole

Richard Drake writes in a guest book review for IC, reprinted by the author’s permission from The Great Falls Tribune, 7 September 2008 : In Pursuit of Osama Bin Laden Barack Obama’s early and consistent critique of the war in Iraq gave him high standing during the Democratic primary campaign. On this crucial issue, he […]

Uncategorized
Biden: And the Economy . . ?

Biden: And the Economy . . ?

Juan Cole

Biden complains that his GOP rivals virtually ignored the economy in favor of snarky personal attacks. At a time when the Republican Party is forced into socialist policies in taking over two major mortgage companies to prevent a general collapse of the mortgage market, you’d think a proposal for fixing it would be more important […]

Uncategorized
Biden to McCain: Now What? Shell to Develop Iraqi Gas

Biden to McCain: Now What? Shell to Develop Iraqi Gas

Juan Cole

Joe Biden wants to know what exactly John McCain’s plans are for Iraq, beyond this vague claim of ‘victory.’ Iraq has approved a preliminary deal with Royal Dutch Shell to develop its natural gas fields. Shell recently pulled out of a deal to develop Iran’s much more extensive gas fields, out of fear of being […]

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