Juan Cole

Fate of Iraqi Political Prisoners Unknown Iraqi organizations and notables in London have called on the Iraqi government to account for what they claim are tens of thousands of political prisoners. These were supposed to have been released in the general amnesty bestowed during the past week, but they were not. (Reported by Asharq al-Awsat). […]

Abu Qatadah Arrested– Key Figure in al-Qaeda The Palestinian cleric Umar Muhammad Abu Umar (“Abu Qatada”), 40, was arrested in a Wednesday raid on a council house in Bermondsey, south London. Suspected by many European authorities of being a key figure in al-Qaeda, he and his family had been missing since last December. British authorities […]

More on Pakistan’s Elections I just wanted to emphasize that I was not at all critizing the moves for restoration of democracy in Pakistan in my op-ed. What I was criticizing was the contradictions in the process. General Musharraf unilaterally amended the constitution 29 times last summer. He placed extreme constraints on campaigning. Pakistan People’s […]

Petition for Palestinian Children A wonderful Israeli organization called Taayush or “living together” has launched a petition drive concerning the dire state of education for Palestinian children under Israeli occupation. The petition can be found at: http://taayush.tripod.com/petition.html and it reads as below. I hope everyone will go sign it, and send money to Taayush. Don’t […]

Parliamentary Maneuvering in Pakistan It is being speculated in the Pakistani press that the Muslim League (QA) may be able to form a government if it allies with absolutely all of the small parties and independent members of parliament. It could cobble together a majority of seats, and would benefit from the plan to add […]

History News Network [http://hnn.us/articles/1053.html] 10-21-02: News Abroad Why Those Election Results in Pakistan Are Frightening by Juan Cole The results of the elections held in Pakistan on October 10 have cast a shadow over the Bush administration’s foreign policy. That policy has been driven by contradictory impulses — curbing Islamic extremism, promoting democracy, beating the […]

Afghan-Pakistani Tensions Rise The elected leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province traded jibes on Sunday and Monday. A spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged Pakistanis to learn from past mistakes, a reference to the ruinous policies of the Taliban. Afghan foreign ministry spokesman Omar Samad is reported by Agence France Presse as […]

Iraqi Kurds eye Kirkuk, Mosul Oil Fields Commander Hamid Efendi, the top-ranking Kurdish militia commander in Northern Iraq, said Saturday that he was committed to taking Kirkuk and Mosul for Kurdistan if the US went to war against Iraq. Kirkuk and Mosul are where the petroleum is, and possession of them would shift the balance […]

Egypt releases 120 Islamists The Egyptian government released 120 members of the Gamaa Islamiyya or Islamic Grouping from prison this past week, and is said to plan further releases. Fully 100 of these were from El Miniya. In the course of the 1990s, the Egyptian government is said to have jailed between 20,000 and 30,000 […]