Juan Cole

Max Blumenthal films a pro-Israel rally in New York and asks questions about civilian casualties that elicit the most horrific answers. But these sentiments are not just on the street. They are even on the op-ed page of America’s newspaper of record. Uh, calling for or endorsing war crimes is itself a war crime, and […]

Hillary Clinton at her confirmation hearing for Secretary of State said in her opening remarks, ‘ The president-elect and I believe that foreign policy must be based on a marriage of principles and pragmatism, not rigid ideology, on facts and evidence, not emotion or prejudice. Our security, our vitality, and our ability to lead in […]

Incoming Vice President Joe Biden was in Kirkuk, Iraq, Tuesday afternoon. According to al-Hayat writing in Arabic, he is on a fact-finding mission and will report back on the current situation to President-Elect Barack Obama, with a view toward setting Iraq strategy when the new administration convenes after next Tuesday. Al-Zaman is reporting that he […]

One of the little noticed side effects of Israel’s war on Gaza has been a substantial souring of relations with Turkey. The Israelis had had a relatively close diplomatic, military and trade relationship with secular, Kemalist Turkey. The rise of the Justice and Development Party from 2002, however, has created new complications, since that party […]

So outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was speaking in Ashkelon on Monday, and he said the most amazing thing. The USG Open Source Center translated the relevant passage from his speech, in which he claimed he had the ability to control US foreign policy and summarily over-rule the Secretary of State: ‘”Olmert Says Israel […]

Sarah Shields writes in a guest op-ed for IC: I accuse you, the US Congress, of having voted for US House Resolution 34 by an overwhelming margin, 390-5. In the name of protecting Israel’s security, this Resolution instead protects Israel’s “right” to hold a whole population accountable for the violations of a few. By condoning […]

British Gaza “Gaza: Soon after the British Empire occupied the city from the Ottoman Turks,” (circa 1918) “Grand Omari Mosque, 1928″ Egyptian Gaza “UN soldiers keeping the peace during the Israeli withdrawal from Egypt,” 1957 “A refugee camp for Palestinians at Gaza, in Egypt’s Gaza strip,” 1963 Israeli Gaza “Israeli tank moving into the Gaza […]

British Gaza “Gaza: Soon after the British Empire occupied the city from the Ottoman Turks,” (circa 1918) “Grand Omari Mosque, 1928″ Egyptian Gaza “UN soldiers keeping the peace during the Israeli withdrawal from Egypt,” 1957 “A refugee camp for Palestinians at Gaza, in Egypt’s Gaza strip,” 1963 Israeli Gaza “Israeli tank moving into the Gaza […]

Israeli war planes bombed densely populated Gaza 12 times Sunday night through Monday morning, even as Israeli reservists were sent into the territory and troops engaged in firefights with local forces. Israel postponed the dispatching of its chief negotiator to Cairo, something originally planned for Monday.Cont’d Hamas fighters hope to use urban guerrilla tactics to […]