Juan Cole

Ghost of Iraq Comes Back to Haunt US/UK Syria Plans

Ghost of Iraq Comes Back to Haunt US/UK Syria Plans

The heavy propaganda for an Iraq War waged by the Bush administration and the Blair government in 2002-2003 came back to haunt the Anglo-American alliance on Thursday when the British parliament voted 285 to 272 not to authorize a military strike on Syria.

JUAN COLE: The heavy propaganda for an Iraq War waged by Bush, Blair governments came back to haunt the alliance on Thursday when parliament voted not to authorize a military strike on Syria.

 Ramzy Baroud

A Starbucks, A Golf Course and a Pub: The ‘Guantanamo Zoo’

A Starbucks, A Golf Course and a Pub: The ‘Guantanamo Zoo’

RAMZY BAROUD: Barack Obama promised to close Guantanamo Bay but still it remains open. And what a bizarre place it has become.

 Francis Matthew

Iraq 10 Years On: The Benefit of Hindsight

Iraq 10 Years On: The Benefit of Hindsight

The attempts by President George W. Bush to justify the American-led invasion of Iraq followed so many wildly different reasons with no coherent link that the liveliest of conspiracy theories have flourished. This has been fuelled by the obvious political failure that has caused no pain to Bush and his neo-conservative allies who launched the war, while the companies with links to those same neo-conservatives have taken a significant share in the billions spent in reconstructing Iraq.

In the aftermath of the terrible attack on the World Trade Centre on 9/11, the first reason given was that Saddam Hussain supported Al Qaida, although Saddam had been ruthless in suppressing Islamists. Then Bush and Blair used Saddam’s alleged plan to manufacture and prepare to use weapons of mass destruction. When eventually this reason […]

 Juan Cole

Obama’s Speech: Is Era of ‘Perpetual War’ Closing?

Obama’s Speech: Is Era of ‘Perpetual War’ Closing?

JUAN COLE: President Obama’s inauguration speech is sure to trigger panic among the ‘we must have war’ crowd. But does he really mean it?

 Juan Cole

‘We Heart Torture’: Zero Dark Thirty’s Message

‘We Heart Torture’: Zero Dark Thirty’s Message

KAREN J. GREENBERG, INFORMED COMMENT: It’s a deeply flawed movie with a deeply troubling message – torture is great.

 Juan Cole

The Ten ‘To Dos’ That Will Guarantee Gaza Ceasefire

The Ten ‘To Dos’ That Will Guarantee Gaza Ceasefire

JUAN COLE: Achieving a ceasefire is significant but if it’s to remain in place all parties must use the gap in hostilities to secure real progress.

 Tabsir

Forget the Debates: Let’s Just Play ‘Survivor’

Forget the Debates: Let’s Just Play ‘Survivor’

DANIEL M. VARISCO: The format is stale, it’s all so controlled and choreographed that very little of substance will be revealed. So why bother?

 Steve Royston

US Elections: 10 Subjects Obama and Romney Won’t Debate

US Elections: 10 Subjects Obama and Romney Won’t Debate

STEVE ROYSTON: Preparation involves coming up with diversionary tactics whenever the question is likely to produce a response unpalatable to the listening millions.

 Jonathan Cook

Nazareth Machinations: The Long Game to “Jews Only”

Nazareth Machinations: The Long Game to “Jews Only”

JONATHAN COOK: … Expropriations would become a staple of life over the next three decades as more than 70 per cent of the land belonging to Palestinians was nationalized

 Francis Matthew

Romney: A Return to a Black and White Foreign Policy

Romney: A Return to a Black and White Foreign Policy

FRANCIS MATTHEW: US Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is suggesting a dangerous return to a simplistic foreign policy in which foreigners are divided simply into friends and foes.

 Juan Cole

Romney: Hapless in London, Insulting in Israel

Romney: Hapless in London, Insulting in Israel

JUAN COLE: The trip of Republic Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney to Israel is in bad taste for lots of reasons. Here are just 10 reasons as to why…

 Juan Cole

Arab Voting Power Makes Bachmann a Romney Liability

Arab Voting Power Makes Bachmann a Romney Liability

JUAN COLE: Remember how Florida in 2000 hung on just a few hundred votes. Well, there are over 250,000 Arab-Americans in Florida. They can all tell when someone is prejudiced.

 Mondoweiss

The Long and Tortured History of Islamophobia

The Long and Tortured History of Islamophobia

ALEX KANE, MONDOWEISS: Deepa Kumar has written a detailed study of Islamophobia which links it inextricably to the cause of Empire

 Juan Cole

Ten Good Reasons NOT To Arm Syrian Rebels

Ten Good Reasons NOT To Arm Syrian Rebels

JUAN COLE: Mitt Romney is flip-flopping on whether ‘Muslims Are Bad’ or that the U.S should supply them with sophisticated weapons.

 Francis Matthew

NATO: A North American Strike Force?

NATO: A North American Strike Force?

FRANCIS MATTHEW: It is sad young Arabs and Muslims see NATO as an expeditionary force striking at the convenience of the White House

 Common Ground News Service

Is Laughter the Middle East’s ‘Best Medicine’?

Is Laughter the Middle East’s ‘Best Medicine’?

SADIA ASHRAF, CGNEWS: What impact have the group of Arab comedians who emerged post 9/11 really had?

 Juan Cole

‘All Praise to George W. Bush’: The Top Ten Myths of the Arab Spring

‘All Praise to George W. Bush’: The Top Ten Myths of the Arab Spring

JUAN COLE: So much that is misinformed, over-hyped and simply plain wrong has been written about the Arab Spring. So let’s sort the wheat from the chaff.

 Juan Cole

Arab World Christians Shaping Own Destiny

Arab World Christians Shaping Own Destiny

JUAN COLE: The some 12 million Arab Christians (out of plus 350 million Arabs) are very much agents in their own fates. They make alliances, and sometimes switch them.

 Ramzy Baroud

The American Threat to Syria’s Revolution

The American Threat to Syria’s Revolution

RAMZY BAROUD: The American ambassador to Syria has established an ‘up and at ’em’ reputation. But what is the bigger picture for the United States in Syria at the moment?

 Juan Cole

Democracy: More Valued by Arabs than Americans?

Democracy: More Valued by Arabs than Americans?

JUAN COLE: Al Qaeda’s vision for the Arab World has been comprehensively rejected. It appears that Arabs – in particular, young Arabs – are prepared to put their lives on the line, not for a Caliphate, but for parliamentary democracy.