Juan Cole

Sistani to Consult with Kurds US Seeks Direct talks with Muqtada Az-Zaman: Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani has decided to send a representative to Kurdistan to discuss the differences between him and the Kurdish leadership over Kurdish desires for a loose federalism that would give them substantial autonomy within Iraq. Sistani’s spokesman said that he wanted […]

Debt and Dollars in Iraq Guest Editorial David Chambers Middle East Institute Thursday’s BBC story entitled “Iraqi debt write-off divides G8” hovers over the heart of many inter-related problems concerning Iraq. The Group of Eight or “G8” remain unable to agree on how much of Iraq’s tens of billions of dollars in foreign debt should […]

Iranian Influence in Iraq Robin Wright of the Washington Post discusses the ways that US officials view Iran as seeking influence in Iraq. Her contacts confirm what I have also long suspected, which is that the Iranians are giving money to virtually all the major Shiite groups, and probably some of the Sunni and Kurdish […]

Ebadi: US War in Iraq set back Iran Human rights Barbara Slavin of USA Today profiles Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel prize winner for peace from Iran. Ebadi complains that the US war in Iraq has strengthened Islamic extremism in the region. Slavin reports her saying, ‘ the toppling of Saddam Hussein has strengthened Islamic fundamentalists […]

Powers: Internal War between CIA and Pentagon as bad as External Wars Mark Follman at Salon.com profiles Thomas Powers, author of “Intelligence Wars: American Secret History From Hitler to Al Qaeda.” Powers argues that the war between the CIA and the Pentagon is a third war for the US after Afghanistan and Iraq. He gives […]

Dr. Frank: The Cure for Bush’s Neuroses: Get him Out of Office Psychiatrist Dr. Justin Frank puts George W. Bush on the couch and comes up with disturbing findings. The findings: 1. Sadism: ‘ the President has a “”lifelong streak of sadism, ranging from childhood pranks (using firecrackers to explode frogs) to insulting journalists, gloating […]

More on US Refusal to hold Local Elections Many thanks to readers for the great interest they showed in so serious a subject as the consequences of the refusal of the Coalition Provisional Authority to allow local elections in Iraq last summer. The subject was broached by Roger Myerson of the University of Chicago. I […]

Wave of Assassinations Continues Sunday Car Bomb at Military Academy kills 12, wounds 13 Guerrillas used a car bomb Sunday to target an Iraqi military academy in southeast Baghdad. There are many US military personnel at the college. It was intercepted by Iraqi police cars, and then detonated, killing 12 Iraqis and wounding 13. Al-Hayat […]

California and Florida: Polls and Demographics work against Bush Has W. morphed from Neo to Smith? Ron Fournier of the Associated Press has a fascinating article on the changes in Florida’s political geography since the last election. He points out that over 700,000 voters have moved into Florida, which now has over 9 million voters, […]