By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Masoud Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (a super-province of Iraq) said Thursday that the KRG paramilitary, the Peshmerga, will not enter Mosul. He also remarked that last week’s Daesh attack on Kirkuk was an attempt to divert attention from the terrorist organization’s failures […]
Starstruck & Party-Fanatic: The Moral Paradox of Trump Support
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Donald J. Trump’s poll numbers in California have cratered down to 28%. If he actually does that poorly in the election, he will set a record for poor performance of a presidential candidate in California. Ever. What is difficult to explain is why he isn’t doing […]
Trump says Clinton will Start WW III with Russia, but Moscow Disagrees
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Donald Trump alleged on Tuesday that if elected, Hillary Clinton would start World War III with Russia over Syria. He wondered how Clinton would be able to negotiate with Putin, whom she has demonized, and said that her plan for a no-fly zone over Syria would […]
Why Trump is (really) wrong to bet against US Military-backed Mosul Campaign
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – As Josh Rogin pointed out, Donald Trump’s pronouncement that the Mosul campaign is bound to fail is an affront to the Iraqi and US troops risking their lives against Daesh (ISIS, ISIL). It is also just plain wrong, and the terms of his pronouncement show once […]
Iraqi Kurdistan forces take Bashiqa on road to Mosul
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – On Sunday, AFP reports in Arabic, Iraqi forces continued their advance on Mosul despite the car bombs and sniping tactics of Daesh (ISIS, ISIL). They moreover were able to expel a whole group of Daesh fighters. Sunday morning, the Peshmerga, the paramilitary of the Kurdistan Regional […]
China’s Wind Co. Profits, share price soar by 60%: 2 Turbines an Hour being Installed
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The South China Post reports some incredible figures about the profitability China’s wind energy companies. A new study by the Bank of China International (BOCI) is foreseeing profits of 25 to 64 percent for the rest of 2016. The reason for this optimism? The government is […]
ISIL feint toward Kirkuk defeated, but Kills hundreds in Mosul
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Aside from the slow, steady advances being made by the Iraqi army and its allies against Daesh (ISIS, ISIL) in Mosul, the two big stories on Friday and Saturday morning were a diversionary attack on Kirkuk by the fundamentalist organization, and CNN’s discovery that Daesh killed […]
Khizr Khan campaign ad for Hillary Clinton finishes off Trump
Captain Khan | Hillary Clinton – Juan Cole from July 31 at Informed Comment: Donald Trump lashed out on Saturday against Ghazala and Khizr Khan over their speech Thursday night in which they criticized the casino and hotel moghul for his unconstitutional tirades. The Khans said at the Democratic National Convention in a speech they […]
Trump Campaign: The Donald’s 5-Point Plan to Defeat Islam
By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Donald J. Trump’s campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, went on MSNBC touting the Republican candidate’s “5-point plan to defeat Islam.” She later clarified that she meant “radical Islamic terrorism.” But in fact her candidate has often spoken as Islam in general as his target, as when he […]
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