Juan Cole

Bush Ignored own National Intelligence Estimate on Danger, Nature of Iraq Insurgency Or, Ozymandias and Empire Knight Ridder reports that US intelligence agencies warned Bush in the summer and fall of 2003 that the guerrilla war was growing in strength, was mostly local, and was fueled in part by the big US military footprint in […]

Over 1300 Dead in Sectarian Violence Mortar Strike on Sunni Mosque Kills 4 Violence Subsides Ellen Knickmeyer and Bassam Sebti of the WaPo reports that since last Wednesday rioters and militiamen have killed over 1300 Iraqis on a sectarian basis. They add, ‘ Hundreds of unclaimed dead lay at the morgue at midday Monday — […]

Violence Kills 29 Despite Curfew in Iraq British Embassy in Tehran Torched Despite the daytime curfew, violence killed 29 in Iraq on Sunday and wounded dozens. A series of eight mortar shells slammed into Shiite neighborhoods, killing 16 persons and wounding some 45. Many women and children were among the victims. There was other violence […]

Afghanistan Prison Riot 25000 Protest in Pakistan The Bush administration cannot even control the al-Qaeda operatives it has in prison! Much less the many walking around free because Bush wasted our resources on an Iraq War instead of polishing off al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, the furor over the Danish caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad has not died […]

Muqtada calls for Sunni-Shiite Marches, Prayers Wants Pan-Islamic Resolution for US Withdrawal Al-Zaman / AFP report that [Ar.] young Shiite nationalist leader Muqtada al-Sadr, having arrived at Basra on Sunday from Iran, called for a joint peaceful demonstration involving both Shiites and Sunnis that demands the departure of US, British and other foreign troops from […]

More Shrines Destroyed, 60 Killed Sistani forms Militia KarbalaNews.net reports that [Ar.] guerrillas blew up a Shiite shrine in Bashir, south of Tuz Khurmato. This Turkmen region near Kirkuk is largely Shiite. It was not clear how much damage was done to the shrine. The people of the region formed units to guard the shrines […]

Violence in Baghdad, Samarra Curfew Partially Observed There was more violence on Friday in Iraq amid calls by clerical leaders for peace. The daytime curfew called for earlier was widely ignored, especially in East Baghdad or Sadr City, where the Mahdi Army militiamen were out in force, driving around in heavy vehicles. *Samarra:Borzou Daragahi of […]

Suicide Bombing of Saudi Oil Complex Foiled We all just dodged a bullet. But for how long? The good news is that the suicide bombing by unidentified radicals against the Saudi oil processing center in largely Shiite Abqaiq (Baqiq) was foiled, though bombs did go off. Saudi Arabia, dominated by hard line Wahhabi Sunnis, produces […]

Dozens of Mosques Attacked, Over 100 Dead, Thousands Protest CNN reports that 7 US GIs were killed in Iraq on Wednesday. There will be a curfew in the core Sunni Arab areas, including Baghdad, to prevent the worshippers from rioting afer the Friday prayers ceremony. Sunni Arabs in Iraq blamed US troops for not protecting […]