Juan Cole

Sunni Counter-Proposals Appear to Fail Parliamentary Vote on Constitution Sunday? Rory Carroll & colleagues at the Guardian reveal that behind the rosy talk, British and American officials are asking “how do you know when you are on the brink of civil war?” and privately comparing the unfolding catastrophe in Iraq to the Lebanese Civil War. […]

A Letter from an Iraqi Reader An acute Iraqi-American observer writes: ‘ I agree with much of what you wrote in your latest article in Salon.com. However, I think that your genuine good wishes for the iraqi people are superceded by the selfish interest of different groups in Iraq. Here are a few selfish interests […]

Baathists Protest in Baqubah About 5,000 Sunni Baathists demonstrated in Baqubah on Friday against the new constitution, condemning its provisions for loose federalism as a threat to the unity of the country. They also chanted to Bush that they love Saddam Hussein. Baqubah is about an hour’s drive northeast of Baghdad (in normal circumstances) near […]

100,000 Sadrists March Against Constitution Reuters reports that Muqtada al-Sadr’s supporters rallied in 8 cities on Friday, totaling a hundred thousand demonstrators in all. They chanted against the new constitution, which they characterized as an American-authored document. They also complained about lack of electricity and other services. Al-Sadr’s followers rallied in Kufa, Najaf,Baghdad (Sadr City), […]

Constitution’s Fate Unclear Al-Jazeera early Saturday morning is reporting that some sort of deal has been reached with the Sunni Arabs on the constitution, but the situation is so muddled that I cannot be sure it is a firm agreement. [It was just talk, coming from speaker of the parliament, Hajim al-Hasani. The saga goes […]

The Iraqi Constitution and the Sunni Arabs My article in Salon.com is “The Iraqi constitution: DOA?” Angry and marginalized, Sunnis are threatening to torpedo Iraq’s constitution. Disaster looms, and the Bush administration’s blunders are largely to blame. See also Phillip Robertson’s touching article in Salon on the death of culture in Baghdad in the conditions […]

Death Toll of 52 as Constitution Talks Fizzle The Iraqi Parliament did not actually meet Thursday to vote on the draft constitution. Edmund Sanders of the LA Times reports ” Thursday’s talks at the Green Zone residence of Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani broke down around 10 p.m. when Sunni negotiators walked out, according to participants. […]

At Least 34 Dead, Dozens Wounded Guerilla Platoon Attacks Police in Baghdad Bloody Shiite on Shiite Clashes in the South Forty guerrillas in Baghdad launched a coordinated attack on police that included suicide bombings, killing 15 and wounding 56. It is always worrisome when you see a whole platoon of guerrillas operating openly in daylight […]

Steven Vincent Case I am reposting here with commentary my comments of 8 August about Colin Freeman’s story in the Telegraph concerning the murder of art journalist Stephen Vincent in Basra. Below, I also reprint part of the Freeman article. I am clarifying my remarks because Vincent’s widow is circulating a misleading characterization of them. […]