Juan Cole

Tony Judt Talk Cancelled after Pressure from Israel Lobby There was a virtual news blackout on the debate at Cooper Union recently on the influence of the Israel Lobby. The video of the debate, which included John Mearsheimber, Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk and Rashid Khalidi, is now available on the Web. Despite the widespread interest […]

Blunkett Blames Cheney, Rumsfeld Baker Commission to accept 3-region Solution? 40 Killed; Tal Afar Bombed WaPo reports, ‘Last month, 776 U.S. troops were wounded in action in Iraq, the highest number since . . . November 2004, [and] the fourth-highest monthly total since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The sharp increase in […]

VP Abdul Mahdi: US Military Part of Problem; 4,000 Iraq police killed in past 2 years The deaths of two more US Marines were announced on Friday. Vice President Adil Abdul Mahdi said on Friday that the lack of a Status of Forces Agreement is among the main reasons for political gridlock in Iraq. The […]

62 Dead, Dozens Wounded as Rice Visits; Warner: Iraq going Sideways; Mahdi Army makes Hospitals Bases Senator John Warner says that Iraq is “drifting sideways” and that many communities do not have potable water. He is one of the few American politicians I have heard talking about the lack of services in much of the […]

Insurgent Leader Offers Talks with US Demands Withdrawal Timetable Dr. Ibrahim al-Shammari of the Islamic Army of Iraq offered talks with the US if Congress will set a withdrawal timetable. IAI was at one point allied with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s “Monotheism and Holy War” guerrilla group, but appears itself to be indigenous Iraqis. The USG […]

Top Ten Victory Celebrations by Republicans in Congress The Republicans in Congress appropriated $20 million for a victory celebration for Iraq and Afghanistan, but couldn’t use it in 2006 for obvious reasons. That item started me thinking of other things that the Republican Party could spend $20 million of the taxpayers’ money to celebrate. 10. […]

4 US Troops Killed Najafi: Beware US-Baath Alliance Guerrillas killed four more US troops in Iraq on Wednesday, using small arms fire. This brings the 3-day total since Monday to 13, which is highly unusual. Since Saturday, 21 US troops have been killed. The Guardian reports that Iraq’s education system in large swathes of the […]

23,416 US Casualties in Iraq War 21 GIs killed since Saturday Campaign Against Sadr City Looms Al-Zaman reports that 21 US troops have been killed in Iraq since Saturday, with 8 killed on Monday alone. As of Tuesday, 23,416 US troops have been wounded or killed in the Iraq War. If you really want to […]

Lies and Cover-Ups are not “Being in Denial” Foleygate, Ricegate and Insurgencygate The right wing of the Republican Party has a problem with the truth. The American press corps has an addiction to euphemisms. Bob Woodward called his book “State of Denial.” The press around the book raises the question of whether President George W. […]