Juan Cole

Marine, Kirkuk Police, Iraqi National Guard Killed Agence France Press reported that guerrillas killed a US Marine Tuesday in al-Anbar Province during ‘security and stability operations.’ Ash-Sharq al-Awsat reports that guerrillas ambushed a police patrol in Kirkuk, killing three policemen and wounding 6. Guerrillas in Karbala killed an Iraqi national guardsman and wounded 3 others […]

Series of Arrests in Pakistan reveals Plot to bomb Finance Centers The uncovering of a possible al-Qaeda plot against key US financial centers in New York and Washington began with the arrest in June of the nephew of Khalid Shaikh Muhammad and the cousin of Ramzi Yusuf, two top Paksitani operatives who come from Pakistan […]

Muqtada’s House Besieged by Marines US Marines and Iraqi National Guard troops headed for the house of Muqtada al-Sadr on Monday, possibly in an another attempt to arrest him, provoking a firefight with his militiamen, who were guarding the house. Several persons were wounded, and one woman was killed, according to Sadrist sources. The troops […]

Muslim Clerics Decry Targetting of Christians Iraq’s major religious leaders all strongly condemned Sunday’s bombing of Iraqi churches. Newsday writes, ‘ Iraq’s top Shia Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, condemned the attacks as “hideous crimes” and a threat to the fragile nation’s “unity, stability and independence . . . We assert the importance of […]

At Least 28 Dead, Over 100 Wounded in Iraq Attacks 1 US Soldier from 1st ID among Killed Early Sunday in Mosul, guerrillas attacked a police station, killing 5 persons, including 2 police, and wounding 53 (-al-Hayat). Later in the day, guerrillas bombed 5 Christian churches, some while evening mass was just ending, 4 in […]

Electricity Riots in Najaf Amara Council Dissolved Al-Zaman: For the second straight day on Sunday, angry crowds attacked the Electricity Office in downtown Najaf, protesting interruptions in the electricity supply that stretched to as many as 18 hours straight in recent days. The lack of electricity hurts local industry and agriculture, and leaves the population […]

Rocco Martino: ‘I am the Source of the False Niger/Iraq Uranium Story’ The Sunday Times on Sunday and the Financial Times on Monday report that an Italian businessman and fraudster named Rocco Martino has said that he was the source of the false stories and documents related to Iraq’s alleged attempts to buy uranium from […]

Allawi Snubs Iran Caretaker Prime Minister Iyad Allawi cancelled his planned visit to Iran, even as he was being feted in Kuwait. He has sent a ministerial delegation instead, according to al-Hayat, in protest against Iranian meddling in Iraq. Allawi’s Minister of Defense Hazem Shaalan, has recently spoken out vocally against Iran, calling it Iraq’s […]

Fierce Firefight in Fallujah Leaves 13 Dead, 14 Wounded AP reports that US Marines in Fallujah came under fire late Thursday, starting a firefight that continued through Friday and spilled over into an industrial area of the city. The Marines fired mortar rounds and called in close air support. AP writes, “Many of those wounded, […]