Juan Cole

Maliki Condemns US for Raid Wednesday’s dramatic events in Iraq began with a US military raid into Sadr City, the vast Shiite slum full of followers of nationalist young cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The soldiers said that they were looking for a suspected death squad leader. The Americans were attacked by Mahdi Army militiamen, and they […]

Helman: Iraq and Vietnam Ambassador Gerald B. Helman writes: In recent days, events in the Vietnem war have been cited and compared to what is happening in Iraq. Even the President referred to the Tet offensive to argue that the Iraqi resistance has been deliberately seeking to turn American public opinion against the war by […]

Iraqi Guerrillas Kill 4 US GIs al-Hakim Supports Regional Confederacies (Don’t miss the second part of my interview with Rajiv Chandrasekaran on Iraq, below.) The US military announced the deaths of 4 GIs in Iraq on Tuesday. AP reports, “A Baghdad-based soldier died at about 2:15 a.m. (2315 GMT) from wounds received when his patrol […]

Chandrasekaran Interview, Part II This is the second part of my interview with Rajiv Chandrasekaran of the Washington Post, concerning his book, Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone. The book is a must-read for anyone interested in how we got to where we are in Iraq. Cole: Former New York City […]

Amara Explodes in Violence Again US Raids Sadrist Offices in Diwaniyah, Hillah 2 GIs were announced killed on Monday and one has disappeared, presumably kidnapped. The US military has launched an intensive manhunt for him. Reuters reports further political violence on Monday. The Mahdi Army militia engaged in a military operation in Amara, killing 4 […]

Guerrillas Kill 5 GIs Bombings, Attacks, Kill 44 Iraqis UN: Nearly 1 Million Displaced since US Invasion 5 US GIs were killed or announced killed on Sunday in Iraq and guerrillas killed some 44 persons in political violence. 83 US military personnel have been killed by guerrillas in Iraq since October 1. AP’s intrepid Hamza […]

Mulla Omar Threatens US Troops Repubs: Good at Ads, Bad at Capturing Mulla Omar, leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan and claimant on the title of Caliph, has issued a long statement in which he pledges to significantly increas attacks on Americans and other Western troops in Afghanistan. Arabic report here. You know that Republican […]

Break-Up of Iraq Threatens Mideast Stability Mahmudiyah Bombing Kills, wounds Dozens The Guardian reported Saturday on the 8 options for Iraq allegedly being considered by the Bush administration: 1. British out now. This is possible, but as the events in Amara on Friday show, will be attended by instability. 2. US and Coalition troops out […]

Amara Fighting Threatens Stability of South Fighting broke out Thursday and Friday in the southern city of Amara (pop. 330,000) between the Mahdi Army and the local police (which are infiltrated by the Badr Corps, another Shiite militia). The fighting killed 9 and wounded 90. The Mahdi Army fighters occupied three buildings important to the […]