By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Syrian war limps along at the margins. It is over where it matters but continues in key demographic pockets. The two most significant are East Ghouta near the al-Assad-held capital of Damascus and the province of Idlib in the northwest of the country. East Ghouta […]
Iran’s Khamenei: Trump Unbalanced, Playing Crazy Games, but Iran policy will Fail
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Iran’s clerical leader, Ali Khamenei, gave a speech in Qom on Tuesday, in which he warned Donald Trump that his “crazy games” would not go without a response. Western news outlets such as the NYT tried to represent this speech as a threat, and some outlets […]
“Do Kids die, Mom?” Facing the Future With Trepidation in the Age of Trump
Frida Berrigan | ( Tomdispatch.com) | – – As a mother and an activist, here’s what I’ve concluded as 2018 begins: it’s getting harder and harder to think about the future — at least in that soaring Whitney Houston fashion. You know the song: “I believe the children are our future, teach them well and […]
Iran’s Khamenei blames Early English Learning for Unrest, Bans Classes
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Iran’s government has apparently discovered the real reason for the protests that swept its small towns and working class neighborhoods during the past couple of weeks. English was being taught to third graders in some schools. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the clerical Leader of the country, has […]
White Nat’list Trump Adviser Miller Bounced from CNN after Sit-in
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Senior policy advisor for the Trump White House and notorious white supremacist Stephen Miller appeared on Jake Tapper’s Sunday show to defend Trump from the allegations in Michael Wolff’s “Fire and Fury.” Miller declined to leave after the train wreck of an interview, in which he […]
Trump Engineered Saudi Soft Coup, attack on Qatar, to Save Self
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Michael Wolff in his new book Fire and Fury makes a number of allegations about Trump’s role in the Gulf crisis that, if true, help explain the mess in that part of the Middle East. Wolff asserts that Trump and his then inner circle–Jared Kushner, Steve […]
Civilized UK, rebuking Trump on Coal, now 30% Wind Powered
Even Wyoming is bailing on Coal, putting in huge Wind Farms
Has Iranian regime repression Succeeded?
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – News agencies are reporting that on Thursday, Iran’s wave of protests died down. If so (and for all we know they could start back up again), here are some reasons. The regime raised the cost of protest, speaking of executing protesters. While that threat might not […]
Bannon’s Game: White Supremacist takeover of GOP
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Steve Bannon’s trash-talking of the Trump in the interviews he gave in Michael Wolff’s new book, “Fire and Fury,” are not political suicide and not just pique. Bannon wants to take over the Republican Party. Nor is Bannon likely to be deterred by Trump’s ‘cease and […]
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