Juan Cole

Sistani Fatwa on Security Al-Hayat: Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani gave a fatwa Friday saying that cooperation with the forces charged with safeguarding security in Iraq is “obligatory” on all Iraqis, “as long as the principles of Islamic law are observed.” Sistani was replying to a letter sent him, which asked if it was required to […]

A Tragic Death and other Tragic Deaths I address a different aspect of this story in my opinion piece at Salon.com, “In gods we trust,” today. Bush’s bizarre press conference on Thursday was according to the Washington Post “on Terri Schiavo anhd Weapons of Mass Destruction.” That US newspapers report this bewildering juxtaposition without so […]

3 US Troops Killed At Least 11 Iraqis Killed, 16 Wounded “The Government is Not Even Close to being Formed” A Rand report done for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld lets him have it over the poor planning at the Pentagon for the aftermath of the war in Iraq, and for poor US military performance […]

US-Pakistan Relations “Broad-Based” Four Suspected al-Qaeda Captured in Peshawar Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence along with, probably, the FBI arrested four foreign Muslims in Peshawar on Thursday. They are: Abdul Aziz of Kunduz,Afghanistan; Mustafa, a Turk; Sulaiman, a Spaniard; and Tulan, a Russian Muslim. The four are suspected of being al-Qaeda. Pakistani intelligence has tracked down and […]

Shahristani Denounces ex-Baath Sunnis in Parliament Child malnutrition has soared in Iraq under the Americans, according to a former Official. Al-Zaman: Hussein Shahristani, a prominent member of the United Iraqi Alliance, affirmed that his bloc in parliament would work to prevent any former members of the Baath Party from filling positions in the new government. […]

Provincial Council Gives Najaf Mayor Prerogative to Appoint Police Chief Al-Zaman: The governing council of Najaf province charged Najaf mayor As`ad Abu Kalal (Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq or SCIRI) with the responsibility for the police force in the city, so as to resolve the disputes about who should be police chief. The […]

Parliament Fiasco Mortar shells landed in the green zone near parliament at one point during its meeting on Tuesday, emptying the room briefly of frantic reporters, according to al-Hayat. The wrangling over cabinet posts continued, with the petroleum ministry coveted by both Shiites and Kurds. The United Iraqi Alliance rejected as candidate for speaker of […]

Car Bomb Targeting Shiites Kills 7, Wounds 9 The war in Iraq is the most important problem facing the US in the eyes of the American public, according to a recent poll. Iraq is more important than the economy, terrorism or social security. You’d think the US media and the Democratic Party could take a […]

Florida Funeral Director Buries Universities Rep. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, has introduced a Horowitz-inspired so-called Academic Freedom Bill of Rights in the Florida State legislature. In our Orwellian world, this is actually a bill to destroy academic freedom and take away rights of free speech on campus. Baxley is a funeral director, and apparently he wants […]