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Archives: August 2007

Cheney & Iran: Here We Go Again?

Barnett Rubin relays a message from a well-connected friend in Washington on the Cheney Administration's plans to roll out a military confrontation with Iran in September. He writes at the Global Affairs…

Akhavi on Neocolonialism

Khody Akhavi at IPS covers my talk last Friday at the New America Foundation, on my book, Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East. He writes:'In Cole's view, the Bush administration's rhetoric of…

Cole in Salon: The War on al-Maliki

My Salon column for Wednesday is now available: "The war against Iraq's prime minister:"Sens. Hillary Clinton and Carl Levin are calling for Nouri al-Maliki's ouster as a way of attacking Bush's Iraq…

Gonzales Gone for Wrong Reasons

The great shame of it all is that Alberto Gonzales was confirmed as Attorney General despite it being widely known that he had played a central role in attempting to authorize the…

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Terrorism

At the Global Affairs group blog, Farideh Farhi tells us how Tehran is reacting to the Bush adminstration's threat to declare sections of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps a 'terrorist organization.She argues…

War in a Time of Cholera

Violence at Karbala, Baghdad, Falluja dogged the al-Maliki government on Monday, while the significance of the agreements reached by the presidential council on national reconciliation remained in doubt. Unless parliament passes them,…

Churchill on When to Throw in the Towel on Iraq

Glenn Greenwald once remarked that "the highest achievement to which one can aspire in the neocon universe it to be compared to Winston Churchill."So Churchill would advocate another surge and toughing it…

Williams Guest Op-ed: W. and Graham Greene

John S. Williams writes:"One of the most curious comments in Incurious Boy George's recent speech before the Veterans of Foreign War in Kansas City was his totally uninformed reference to Graham Greene's…

Who is the US Fighting in Iraq?

Who exactly is the US fighting in Iraq? Graphed by self-confessed identity of captives, it is largely Sunni Arab Iraqis, often motivated primarily by the opportunity to earn some money from the…

Rubin on Narcotics in Afghanistan

At the Global Affairs group blog, Barnett Rubin gives us the second in a series of three posts on the effort to confront narcotics production and trafficking coming out of Afghanistan. It…

Ahmed on Sharif Decision, Pakistan

Don't miss Manan Ahmed's important comment at our Global Affairs group blog on Pakistan's Supreme Court decision that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif may return to Pakistan.See also Sameer Lalwani's comments at…

C-Span covers Cole at New America Foundation

This talk will be broadcast on C-Span at some later date, but will be available later on Friday at the web site of the New America Foundation. New America FoundationJuan Cole: Lessons…

Iranian Troops Come into Kurdistan

Iranian troops came into the Iraqi territory of Kurdistan, seeking revenge on the PEJAK faction of Kurds that has launched terror attacks on Iranian soil. Senator John Warner called Thursday for Bush…

OSC Press Roundup Maliki visit to Syria

The USG Open Source Center rounds up Iraqi media reaction to the visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to Damascus. Iraq-Syria: Media, Officials Call Al-Maliki Visit 'Success' Despite Differences Iraq, Syria…

Napoleon, Bush & the Republic Militant

My piece on "Pitching the Imperial Republic," comparing Napoleon's fiasco in Egypt to Bush's quagmire in Iraq (since he likes historical analogies) is now available at Tomdispatch.com. Please link back to Tom's…

Military Coup Planned for Iraq?

A rumor is circulating among well-connected and formerly high-level Iraqi bureaucrats in exile in places like Damascus that a military coup is being prepared for Iraq. I received the following from a…

Fox does unto Iran as it Did unto Iraq

Rupert Murdoch wants to kill your 18 year-olds in a fruitless war with Iran. Robert Greenwald's video shows how Faux Cable News is running the same scam on Iran that it ran…

Syrian Newspapers Optimistic on al-Maliki Visit

The USG Open Source Center rounds up Reactions of Syrian Newspapers to the visit to Damascus of Prime Minister Nuri al-MalikiSyrian Papers Expect Al-Maliki's Visit To 'Reflect Positively' on RegionSyria -- OSC…

Rubin on Herat

See Barnett Rubin's latest blog entry at the Global Affairs blog, "Return from Herat: Wherein one Pessoptimist Meets Another."

Cole in Salon: The Poisonous Legacy of Karl Rove

My Salon column is out: The poisonous rhetorical legacy of Karl RoveEven Fox's Chris Wallace wants to know why Bush's newly departed advisor had to paint Democrats as traitors. Excerpt:' [Chris] Wallace…

Ammar al-Hakim

The USG Open Source Center translates a recent speech of Ammar al-Hakim, who is functioning as acting leader of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council while his father is undergoing treatment for cancer.…

Pan Arab Talk Shows on Iraq: OSC

Here are the Iraq-related conversations in the USG Open Source Center roundup of Pan-Arab satellite talk shows for the past week. For the non-Iraq portions, see our Global Affairs group blog.Weekly Roundup…

Cole on Lehrer

Just taped a segment for the Lehrer News Hour on Iraq. Will be aired today, 8/15.

Bombing of Yazidis; Summit Fizzles

Local officials in the two villages of of Al-Qataniyah and Al-Adnaniyah in northern Iraq (not far from Mosul) maintained Wednesday morning that 4 car bombs had killed over 200 persons and wounded…

Sam Seder Interview on Napoleon’s Egypt

Sam Seder is calling me Wednesday to talk about my new book, Napoleon's Egypt. The segment will air Sunday Sept. 26, during Sam's show (see link above). At the Napoleon's Egypt Blog,…

Massive Attack on Yazidis Kills nearly 200

The BBC says that Ninevah Province police are reporting that three car bombs targeted a Yazidi village in northern Iraq near Sinjar not far from the Syria border. One of them was…

Karl Rove Resignation: Satire

Satire on Karl Rove's resignation: Rewriting a Wikipedia article on Goebbels through search and replace. (Link in time stamp, below.)Karl Rove, leader of the Republican Party's propaganda machine, later the official in…

Bush’s Failures in Afghanistan

At our Global Affairs group blog, Barnett Rubin comments on an important new NYT article on how Afghanistan is going bad under W.'s tender ministrations. Rubin is perhaps our foremost Afghanistan expert…

Guerrillas kill Governor of Qadisiya

Militiamen deployed a powerful roadside bomb to kill the governor and police chief of Qadisiya Province, the capital of which is Diwaniya. Gov. Khalil Jalil Hamza, of the Badr Organization and police…

Getting Pakistan Right

Be sure to check out Manan Ahmed's "Getting Pakistan Right at our Global Affairs group blog. It is a powerful corrective to American tendencies to undervalue the democratic potential of the place.

Cheney Urges Strike On Iran Mcclatchy

Cheney Urges Strike on Iran: McClatchy Bush threatens al-Maliki then Backs Off Bombing in Taji Kills 7 Warren P. Strobel, John Walcott and Nancy A. Youssef of McClatchy report that VP Dick…

Rumors Musharraf Will Impose Emergency

Rumors Musharraf will impose Emergency Laws in Pakistan Islamabad blames Obama Blogger acting up, affecting comments, archives. Should clear up soon. Sorry.Rumors are flying in Pakistan that Gen. Pervez Musharraf may declare…

Us Military Strikes Embarrass Al Maliki

US Military Strikes Embarrass al-Maliki While he is in Tehran The US military took advantage of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's absence from the country to settle some scores with the Mahdi Army…

Beeman To Nyt Hyping Iran Threat In

Beeman to NYT: Hyping Iran Threat in Times of DiplomacyWilliam O. Beeman of the University of Minnesota shared with IC this letter to the editor of the New York Times:"From: William O.…

Pakistani Editor Tancredo Has Expressed

Pakistani Editor: 'Tancredo has Expressed his Evil, inner Self'At IC Global Affairs, the editors of major Pakistani newspapers reply to Tom Tancredo and Barack Obama.The issue came up again at the AFL-CIO…

Al Maliki Declines Turkish Treaty On

Al-Maliki Declines Turkish Treaty on Terrorism Kurdistan Passes Oil Law Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki appears to have been ambushed by Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan on his visit to Ankara, when Erdogan…

Bush Vs Zombies

Bush v. ZombiesA satire on Bush administration fear-mongering. courtesy YouTube.

Farhi On Afghanistan Iraq And Bush

Farhi on Afghanistan, Iraq and the Bush Administration’s Incoherent Iran PolicyAt our Global Affairs group blog, Farideh Farhi explains "Afghanistan, Iraq and the Bush Administration’s Incoherent Iran Policy".She points out that Bush…

Surge Of Phony Spin On Iraq Cole In

A Surge of Phony Spin on Iraq: Cole in SalonMy column is out in Salon.com Tuesday:A surge of phony spin on IraqBush's backers are peddling a sunny view of the president's strategy…

Napoleons Egypt And Page 99 Test

Napoleon's Egypt and the Page 99 TestMarshal Zeringue's Page 99 Test highlights my new book, Napoleon's Egypt: Invading the Middle East.This book blog is premised on Ford Maddox Ford's bon mot, "Open…

122 Dead In Civil War Violence Collapse

122 Dead in Civil War Violence; The Collapse of the al-Maliki CabinetThe cabinet ministers in the al-Maliki government belonging to the National Iraqi List led by Iyad Allawi suspended their participation on…

Satire I Wanna Be Like Usama

Satire: I Wanna Be Like UsamaI've always been a firm believer in making fun of the bad guys, since they derive some of their power from being taken seriously.From YouTube.

Edwards Hammers Clinton Over Ties To

John Edwards on the Pernicious Influence of Lobbyists on US Politics: Yearly KosThanks to David Sirota & YouTube.See also Dennis Perrin's detailed and sometimes dyspeptic account of his Yearly Kos experience at…

Analysis Of Al Malikis Cabinet

Analysis of al-Maliki's Cabinet Regarding the collapsing al-Maliki government, an informed observer writes:"The analysis of the current composition of the Council of Ministers is now complete. There are 38 Cabinet-level positions, not…

Tal Afar Bombing Kills 25 60 Bodies

Republican Candidates for Staying the Course; Tal Afar Bombing Kills 25; 60 Bodies found Near Baquba; 190,000 Guns Unaccounted for by Pentagon Republican candidates on Iraq Sunday:“They are making progress, and we…

Bonapartes Proclamation On Overthrowing

Bonaparte's Proclamation on Overthrowing the Ottoman Beys of EgyptJust one day until the book is out!.From the Napoleon's Egypt Blog today, Bonaparte's June 1798 proclamation to his troops on the rationale for…

Obama Sticks To His Guns Senator Obama

Obama Sticks to his GunsSenator Obama still can't see why it is controversial for him to threaten to violate Pakistan's sovereignty to get at the Arab al-Qaeda in Waziristan. His comments of…

Iraqi Sermons On Sunni Withdrawal Saudi

Iraqi Sermons on the Sunni Withdrawal, Saudi Calls for Destruction of Shrines The USG Open Source Center translates select passages from Sunni and Shiite sermons from last Friday in Iraq. Many of…

Hard Of Hearing When It Comes To Saudis

Hard of Hearing when it Comes to the SaudisIraqslogger discovers that the State Department suddenly can't hear very well when the Saudi foreign minister starts fulminating against 'foreign interference' and 'Occupation' in…

Al Anbar Resident Approval Of Sunni

Al-Anbar Residents approve of Sunni withdrawal Remember all that reporting about "progress" against "al-Qaeda" in al-Anbar Province? But for Sunni Arab Iraqis to hate the foreign Salafi fighters is not strange, and…

Arc Of Crisis Panel At Yearly Kos Heres

Candidates at Yearly Kos Reactions to Arc of Crisis PanelAlas, although I heard the Democratic candidates for president at Yearly Kos and attended the break-out meeting afterward with Sen. Barack Obama, the…

Pakistani Protests Against Obama

Pakistani Protests against Obama; Clinton leaves Nukes on the Table; Tancredo an Inspiration to the Criminally Insane that They, Too, Could run for President I'm going to hear Senator Barack Obama on…

Shiite Militia Attacks On Us And

Shiite Militia Attacks on US and British Troops;The Kurds and the Kirkuk CrisisRemember that spate of newspaper stories about July seeing the lowest number of US military deaths in Iraq since November?…

Cole Interview From Yearly Kos

Cole Interview from Yearly Kos An interview with me at Josh Marshall's Talkingpointsmemo from the Yearly Kos conference. (Top video frame.) Thanks to Josh's staff for the good questions!Plus Yearly Kos in…

News From Yearly Kos Yearly Kos

News from Yearly KosThe Yearly Kos netroots convention is celebrating grassroots democratic activism.The Sun-Times covers the events Thursday evening. Howard Dean spoke with perceptiveness and passion about grassroots democracy and the internet.I…

Us And Iraq Troops Are Mounting Major

13 Killed in Hibhib US-Iraqi Operation in Samarra' US and Iraq troops are mounting a major operation in the northern Sunni Arab city of Samarra, intending to uproot the "Islamic State of…

Sunni Arab Withdrawal From Al Maliki

Sunni Arab Withdrawal from Al-Maliki GovernmentThe USG Open Source Center analyzes the recent withdrawal of the Sunni Arab Iraqi Accord Front from the al-Maliki government. Reactions of major Iraqi political blocs, especially…

April 12 2007 Destruction Of Sarafiya

April 12, 2007 Destruction of Sarafiya Bridge, BaghdadMy American readers often tell me that they have difficulty gauging the scale of death and destruction in Iraq or are numbed by the daily…

142 Dead In Heat Wave Of Violence 5_02

142 Dead in Campaign of Violence 5 Coalition Troops Announced Killed Sunni Arabs Withdraw from Government The Associated Press reported that 142 Iraqis were killed or found dead in Iraq on Wednesday.…

Executive Summary Of Conclusion Of

Guest Op-Ed: Polk on Insurgency & American HistoryExecutive Summary of the conclusion of Violent Politics: A History of Insurgency, Terrorism & Guerrilla Warfare from the American Revolution to Iraq. By William R.…

Yearly Kos Headed Off Thursday To

Yearly KosHeaded off Thursday to Yearly Kos conference in Chicago.Book signing Friday 2 pm - Napoleon's Egypt.Our panel information is here, Friday afternoon. Alas, Professor Zarinebaf can't be with us after all.…

Cole On Kpfk Rafsanjani Misbah Yazdi

Cole on KPFK Rafsanjani/ Misbah-Yazdi Rivalry in Iran For SoCal readers: Will be on the radio with Jon Wiener this afternoon 4:20 pm PST. For the rest, streamed live at kpfk.org, 7:20…

Napoleon Bonaparte On Liberating Middle

Napoleon Bonaparte on Liberating the Middle EasternersAt the Napoleon in Egypt blog, more correspondence of Gen. Bonaparte concerning his planned invasion of Egypt, from April-May 1798. Included is his proclamation to the…

Deadliest July Yet For Us Troops 23

Deadliest July Yet for US Troops; 23% Rise in Iraqi Deaths in July; Maliki Government Teeters--Sunni, Da'wa Discontent 2007 saw the deadliest July for US troops since the Iraq War began. It…

Crs Reports On Iraq Online Kind Analyst

CRS Reports on Iraq OnlineA kind analyst wrote:"FAS uncovered a bunch of recent CRS reports on Iraq. FYI. CRS REPORTS ON IRAQThe Congressional Research Service has produced several newly updated reports on…

Fellowships For Threatened Scholars

FELLOWSHIPS FOR THREATENED SCHOLARS FROM IRAQ - CALL FOR APPLICATIONS Iraq Scholar Rescue Project The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) has received special funding for the Iraq Scholar Rescue…