Juan R. I. Cole is Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. For three and a half decades, he has sought to put the relationship of the West and...
Juan R. I. Cole is Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History at the University of Michigan. For three and a half decades, he has sought to put the relationship of the West and the Muslim world in historical context.
Juan Cole / TruthdigMar 17, 2020
Many energy firms involved with fracking are deeply in debt. Is the end of the industry in sight? Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigMar 15, 2020
There is an exact analogy between Trump’s treatment of Covid-19 and his treatment of the climate emergency. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigMar 4, 2020
If Joe Biden's campaign resurrection wins him the nomination and ultimately the presidency, he will fail America on three crucial fronts. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigMar 3, 2020
After the Israeli prime minister's Likud Party falls shy of a governing majority, one PLO official laments the "triumph of apartheid." Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 26, 2020
A leading question about Israel on the CBS debate stage gets two very different responses from the two Jewish Democratic candidates. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 25, 2020
Why should a known islamophobe be allowed to visit one of the most magnificent products of Indo-Muslim architecture? Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 24, 2020
The MSNBC pundit's egregious comments about Bernie Sanders lead to calls for his ouster, while his delusions spread throughout cable news. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 19, 2020
Some 94% of Palestinians reject the Kushner Plan, and two-thirds of Palestinians support the way President Mahmoud Abbas has tackled it. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 17, 2020
Israel's caretaker prime minister, who is facing an election soon, is bragging about undermining the Constitution's First Amendment. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 13, 2020
The United Nations releases a long-awaited list of 112 companies that do business with Israeli squatters on the Palestinian West Bank. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 4, 2020
Apart from all the unholy mess that is the caucus system, Illinois just looks much more like America than does Iowa. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TruthdigFeb 3, 2020
He grasps the urgency of multiple crises we're facing and has actionable plans to address them. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 21, 2019
The president is sending troops to Saudi Arabia. Has everyone forgotten what the extremist organization made of U.S. military presence there? Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 17, 2019
The president tips the sector, which is about 14% of the U.S. gross national product, into recession with his trade war with China. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 15, 2019
In Kim Darroch's leaked diplomatic cables lies a key to understanding Trump's hatred of the 2015 nuclear treaty with Iran. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 14, 2019
The resignation of the secretary of Labor Alex Acosta is only the most recent in a string of such scandals for the current administration. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 7, 2019
A secretive agency is systematically removing archived documents that detail repression against Palestinians and Palestinian-Israelis. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 3, 2019
Things are getting noticeably harder and hotter due to climate change, and the worst part is, we are doing this to ourselves. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 1, 2019
European powers have made operational a mechanism that will allow companies to do business with Iran while avoiding U.S. sanctions. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 20, 2019
The Congress member is under fire for using the term to describe holding facilities for refugees and other undocumented entrants into the U.S. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 19, 2019
For the first time in history, India is investing more in solar energy than in coal and could soon catch up with the U.S. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 5, 2019
The U.S. president imagines the British public rolled out a welcome mat, but their actual reaction to his recent visit was profound dismay. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 3, 2019
In private remarks that were recorded and leaked, the Secretary of State threw cold water on the unrevealed plan for Israel and Palestine. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 29, 2019
If Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn't succeed in forming a government, Israel will have snap elections in September. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 29, 2019
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon calls a “climate emergency” in response to a call from to the youth protest movement Extinction Rebellion. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 28, 2019
Those who promote loathing of Muslims among white people are creating an atmosphere in which, inevitably, Jews will also be attacked. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 24, 2019
The Iranian parliament votes to declare U.S. CENTCOM forces terrorists in retaliation for the president's recent harassment. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 22, 2019
Racism is not that complicated, so it is not a surprise that contemporary racists can’t come up with new tropes for demeaning minorities. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 14, 2019
The party leadership isn't defending the Minnesota congresswoman from Trump's attacks for one simple reason. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 7, 2019
The Trump administration is considering designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist organization; it is a very bad idea. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 3, 2019
Links between Jared Kushner, the Saudi crown prince, Qatar and the recent hack of Jeff Bezos' phone keep surfacing. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 31, 2019
Nearly 75 percent of the British nation's 2018 gross electricity consumption came from renewables, and that's far from its only green success. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 27, 2019
For the first time in many years, 50 percent of Americans favor the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 17, 2019
The world-straddling press lord's media is under pressure in the wake of the massacre of 50 worshipers by a white supremacist terrorist at a New Zealand mosque. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 10, 2019
When it comes to hydrocarbons, the Scandinavian nation can't seem to decide what the best course of action is. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 9, 2019
Let’s compare some jail terms for shoplifting small items with the Trump campaign manager's sentence for tax avoidance. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 6, 2019
The Mediterranean nation is already getting 40 percent of its electricity from renewables, and its government hopes to double that by 2030. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 3, 2019
The country's president, Carlos Alvarado, announced that the country would transition to net carbon zero. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 2, 2019
Despite the announcement that the Israeli prime minister will be indicted on bribery and fraud charges, he may well be reelected. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 24, 2019
A scheme to sell the kingdom sensitive American nuclear technology that could allow it to develop nuclear weapons is unveiled. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 19, 2019
From Trump’s very first speech as president, it's been apparent the 45th president is a constitutional crisis waiting to happen. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 17, 2019
Not only has the U.S. president failed to rally Europe to his crusade, but even the anti-Iran states of the Gulf have split. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 11, 2019
The congresswoman has been accused of anti-Semitism, but her tweets reveal an inconvenient truth about AIPAC's influence in Washington. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 30, 2019
Although Transparency International ranks it at 22 on its new list of corrupt countries, the U.S. actually belongs at the bottom. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 28, 2019
On the occasion of the two-year anniversary of Trump’s Muslim visa ban and Holocaust Remembrance Day, it's worth reviewing some U.S. history. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 27, 2019
Trump’s rhetoric of hatred creates an atmosphere in which domestic terrorism is likely to thrive. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 14, 2019
The national security adviser has been agitating for a war on Iran for two decades, and if he's not reined in, he could soon get his way. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 10, 2019
The president's talk of declaring a national emergency so that he can build a border wall with Mexico is highly alarming. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 9, 2019
The actual emergency is not related to immigration, but to our rapidly warming climate. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 2, 2019
There are signs that the U.S. foreign and military policy that marked the post-9/11 era may be winding down. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 31, 2018
The arrogant and impatient young Mohammed Bin Salman, who shouldered aside family members to grab power, is something new in Saudi history. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 30, 2018
The New York Times causes an international stir by estimating that 20 percent of Sudanese fighters in Yemen may be between 13 and 17. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 27, 2018
The U.S. president treats the Mideast nation like an empty vessel useful only for hosting the U.S. military. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 20, 2018
The president shakes up world politics by unexpectedly announcing a full and immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from northeast Syria. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 19, 2018
The living space-sharing company's delisting of apartments in the West Bank's illegal settlements marks a shift in the business world. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 6, 2018
Half of the world's wealthiest countries (and biggest polluters) are not going to bother to meet their own commitments to emissions reductions. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 5, 2018
Reactions to a briefing by CIA Director Gina Haspel suggest the crown prince will face consequences for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 3, 2018
A change in Israel's government could accelerate Israeli dispossession of the Palestinians and result in further warfare and bloodshed. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 2, 2018
On the occasion of the death of former president, I’d like to reflect on the meaning of his presidency for American foreign policy in the region. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 26, 2018
Trump has consistently given Saudi control of oil prices as the reason he doesn’t want to sanction the Saudi crown prince for Jamal Khashoggi's death. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 25, 2018
The Trump administration dropped the second volume of a congressionally mandated study of the climate crisis during Thanksgiving weekend in order to bury it. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 11, 2018
While Trump is in Paris to commemorate the end of World War I, we should learn from that bloody episode that, among other things, we cannot credit politicians who promise us a short, glorious war. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 4, 2018
The massacre in the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh did not take place in a vacuum—it is part of a wave of hate crimes sweeping our country. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 1, 2018
Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo push for a conclusion to the Saudi-backed quagmire. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 17, 2018
The current relationship of Washington and Riyadh is pathological in a lot of ways, and a policy rethink on both sides would benefit both countries. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 14, 2018
Coverage of what happened to Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul has differed enormously from country to country. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / TomDispatchOct 10, 2018
The Islamophobia that Donald Trump has made his own arose in the decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union, once the boogeyman of Communism was removed from the quiver of the American right. Dig deeper ( 9 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 8, 2018
Scientists are warning us vehemently that we have to be net zero carbon by 2050, and we have to jump on getting there right now, or else very bad things will happen. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 18, 2018
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces that the Trump administration will cap refugee admissions at 30,000 in 2019, down from 45,000 in 2018 and from 85,000 in fiscal 2016. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole /Sep 13, 2018
As Hurricane Florence, a storm intensified by climate change, heads to North and South Carolina, the states' past approaches to the environmental issue are coming to light. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 12, 2018
Here are the crimes that I allege the national security adviser has committed, for which he by all rights should face justice at the Hague, at the hands of the same ICC judges that he recently threatened. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 11, 2018
The treatment of a local high-schooler by administration staff and Secret Service agents at a rally in Montana is an example of the president's pernicious pettiness. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 9, 2018
Environmental activists protest in 90 countries and 800 cities worldwide in the runup to a major climate conference in San Francisco. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 6, 2018
The anonymous op-ed in The New York Times that describes a White House in meltdown is not an act of courage. It is a piece of moral cowardice of the worst sort. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 5, 2018
Here are some of the points gleaned from excerpts from Bob Woodward’s upcoming book, “Fear,” which profiles the Trump White House on the basis of hundreds of hours of interviews with staffers. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 2, 2018
The Shanghai futures market is trading in the Chinese currency, the yuan, rather than in dollars. The move will allow China to buy Iranian crude till the cows come home, evading U.S. sanctions. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 30, 2018
The Florida governor's race takes an ugly turn as racism becomes an issue in the aftermath of comments the Republican candidate made about his opponent. Several issues in play show that the Tallahassee mayor could well win. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 29, 2018
Although Hurricane Maria's death toll in Puerto Rico rivals that of the 9/11 attacks, the response to the two events has been dramatically different. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 27, 2018
The president's domestic woes as an unindicted co-conspirator inevitably make him weak on the world stage. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 26, 2018
When George W. Bush was running against the late Arizona senator in the 2000 GOP primary, the Bush campaign implied McCain's adopted daughter from Bangladesh was born from an affair between the senator and a black woman. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 23, 2018
The president's personal attorney's decision to come clean about him, and thus end any possibility of a presidential pardon, may be the result of a legal strategy, or it could just point to the sudden acquisition of a conscience. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 22, 2018
In a conversation earlier this summer with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Trump reportedly said, "[In a one-state scenario,] the prime minister of Israel in a few years will be called Mohammed.” Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 20, 2018
The Saudi and United Arab Emirates' war on Yemen, which was launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March 2015, has flown under the radar among the U.S. public until a recent bombing. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 19, 2018
The special counsel's team is exploring whether Elliott Broidy, former vice chair of the Trump Victory Committee, used his administration connections to engage in influence peddling and seek kickbacks from abroad. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 15, 2018
Ilhan Omar, a refugee from Somalia and a Muslim, wins the Democratic primary for Minnesota’s 5th District House seat, hoping to succeed Keith Ellison. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 13, 2018
About 30,000 people, mainly Palestinian-Israelis but also Jewish supporters, rally in the downtown area against the so-called “Jewish nationality law” passed by the far-right Likud Party and its allies. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 9, 2018
The yacht-loving Renaissance art collector who tried to pull the wool over the eyes of the American elite is a serial diplomatic disaster. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 8, 2018
The president fails to get buy-in from allies and rivals, who pledge to keep dealing with Iran. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 5, 2018
The president's son-in-law has reportedly bought into a theory that Palestinian identity and desire to return to what is now Israel are being artificially kept alive because Palestinians are recognized as refugees by the United Nations. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 2, 2018
A report in The Intercept suggests he was ousted as secretary of state because of the sway the United Arab Emirates ambassador in Washington, D.C., has over Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentAug 1, 2018
After the passage of the “nationality” law, Israel is no longer multicultural. It is a country where national sovereignty lies solely in the hands of its Jewish citizens. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 30, 2018
Tamimi uses the experience of being jailed to advantage, as have many other colonial prisoners including Mandela and Gandhi. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 23, 2018
To have the U.S. and Iran rattling sabers does not in the least benefit the American people. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 22, 2018
Israel has for decades been running the occupied territories of Palestine–Gaza and the West Bank–with apartheid tactics, but now the Knesset is essentially declaring Palestinians to be second-class citizens. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 18, 2018
While Vladimir Putin’s behavior has been objectionable, there is something profoundly hypocritical about the American elite pretending the U.S. doesn’t embrace people like the Russian leader all the time. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 11, 2018
Most observers are puzzled as to why British Prime Minister Theresa May is hosting a Trump visit to her country, a visit that is likely to offer opportunities for serial embarrassment to all concerned. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 8, 2018
Iran’s official for the Organization of Petroleum Countries says the president's Twitter activity is roiling the oil markets. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 5, 2018
The five foreign ministers—minus U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo—of the countries that signed the 2015 deal on curbing Iran's civilian nuclear enrichment program are set to meet in Vienna. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 4, 2018
In the section of the Declaration of Independence on grievances, there are a number of paragraphs that resonate with today’s politics. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJul 1, 2018
The president tweets that Saudi King Salman has promised to increase oil production. But even if Salman wanted to, he doesn't have the power to shield Trump from the oil markets. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 27, 2018
At least six other times in the past, people were excluded from America on the basis of race or religion. The Roberts Supreme Court has just legitimized the seventh. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 25, 2018
The White House press secretary complained on Twitter about not being served at the Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Va. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 24, 2018
A report issued by United Nations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston shines a bright light on how unequal a society the U.S. is. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 20, 2018
Steve Bannon is still advising the White House, and he believes that immigration—whenever and however it becomes a headline—hurts the Democrats. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 18, 2018
This monstrous practice has been characteristic of the biggest tyrants of the modern era. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 14, 2018
A U.N. General Assembly resolution that condemns recent violence in Gaza is adopted, while the Indian Student Federation boycotts Hewlett Packard for its alleged involvement in the oppression of Palestinians. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 11, 2018
The Roman Catholic leader forthrightly reminds oil company CEOs that climate change is a moral issue. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 10, 2018
The late chef was the only major American celebrity who succeeded in publicly depicting Palestinians as rational, caring human beings rather than as irrationally angry inciters of violence. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 7, 2018
The recent meal he hosted may have been designed to offer a different image of himself to cast doubt on the conclusion that Islamophobia lies behind his Muslim ban. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 4, 2018
Five of the world's largest solar installations are under construction there, and a sixth is in the pipeline. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJun 3, 2018
For the Israelis to shoot unarmed Palestinians simply because they were in a zone declared off limits within Gaza is a war crime. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 30, 2018
India’s external affairs minister delivers a sharp rebuke to the U.S. over its plans for sanctions on trade with Iran, and for its threats against third parties including India. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 28, 2018
The U.S. is now doing the opposite of what it said it would in the war-torn Middle Eastern nation. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 23, 2018
The secretary of state's speech on Iran lays out a wide range of Iranian behavior he would like to change, and specifies harsh U.S. financial sanctions as his instrument. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 20, 2018
That identification of Englishness with whiteness in the American racial imaginary is nowhere more evident than racialist imaginings of the British royal family. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 17, 2018
The term functions similarly to the Nazi technical term “untermensch,” or underman, subhuman. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 16, 2018
Social media is outraged by the language Western media use to describe the peacefully protesting Palestinians shot in cold blood by Israeli snipers. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 14, 2018
For hundreds of years under the Romans, Jews were excluded from the city by law. Ironically, it was Iran and Muslims who rescued them from that exile. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 13, 2018
The White House chief of staff is an immigrant-hating bigot, as demonstrated by a long series of draconian statements and measures. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 10, 2018
If what the U.S. government and media are saying about Iran seems vaguely familiar, it's because we've heard it all before. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 9, 2018
Given all the talk of Donald Trump pulling out of the Iran deal in part because of Tehran’s supposed regional dominance, Lebanese election results will probably be entangled with this policy. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 7, 2018
The Trump administration thinks it'll be easier to convince the U.S. public that it is right to pull out of the deal if the bureaucrats involved in crafting it are discredited. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 6, 2018
Mexico plans to produce 43 percent of its electricity from renewables within six years. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMay 2, 2018
Israel's prime minister is attempting to bamboozle the clueless Donald Trump into getting on a new war footing. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 25, 2018
During his state visit to Washington, the French president enumerated four points regarding Iran policy. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 25, 2018
I just noticed something in one of the statements of the nominee for secretary of state while he was a representative in Congress from Kansas, and it is potentially chilling. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 23, 2018
For their own selfish reasons the Saudis may inadvertently be helping the world avoid the worst consequences of climate change. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 22, 2018
The actress lands in the center of a controversy after declining to attend the Genesis Foundation awards ceremony in Jerusalem because of her distress at “recent events" in Israel. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 19, 2018
The president’s plan to remove U.S. troops resolves diplomatic problems with Russia, Damascus and Turkey but raises thorny questions on other fronts. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 18, 2018
For the Fox News host to go on air and defend attorney Michael Cohen numerous times without mentioning that Cohen is his legal adviser is the height of journalistic corruption. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 16, 2018
The former FBI chief has been a central figure in the gutting of the Fourth Amendment and in trying to make sure the government can break your encryption and spy on you. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 15, 2018
Iraqis are clearly afraid that the North Atlantic intervention will embolden Islamic State to restart its operations. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 9, 2018
Achievements in Portugal, Scotland and Costa Rica show that a 100-percent-clean electricity grid is no longer a dream. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 8, 2018
A Saudi-backed fundamentalist militia alleges that the Assad government dropped a barrel bomb full of chlorine and other chemicals on the rebel enclave of Douma. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 5, 2018
Here are five reasons Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in an interview with The Atlantic, was wrong to liken Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to the Nazi leader. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 4, 2018
The Atlantic's editor in chief breathlessly reported that Mohammed bin Salman told him that both Jews and Palestinians have a right to their own state. There is nothing unprecedented about what the Saudi royal said. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 2, 2018
The Israeli army snipers who were ordered to shoot unarmed Palestinian protesters at the Gaza border were acting according to the contemporary script of Middle Eastern despots. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentApr 1, 2018
"... [W]e’re knocking the hell out of ISIS. ... Let the other people take care of [Syria] now," President Trump declares during a speech in Ohio on infrastructure. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 29, 2018
It would be better for Mohammed bin Salman not to open his mouth on the subject until Christmas can be celebrated at a church in Riyadh, as it is at churches throughout the Muslim world. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 28, 2018
Global carbon dioxide emissions increased 2 percent in 2017, after having been flat in 2014-16, and China and the developing countries were the reason for the increase. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 26, 2018
Saudi Arabia is dropping billions of dollars-worth of bombs supplied by the U.S. and the U.K. on Sana'a, the Yemen capital. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 21, 2018
Trump spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied that the string of bombings that killed two people was an act of terrorism. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 19, 2018
Ford and other U.S. car companies really, really need electric sport utility vehicles in order to get through the coming years. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 15, 2018
While it isn’t clear whether the president has a policy in Syria, the Department of Defense is failing to achieve its goals and the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. is issuing empty threats. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 14, 2018
All you need to know about Trump's pick for secretary of state is that for much of his life he has been in business with the Koch brothers. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 12, 2018
The body of Saudi Maj. Gen. Ali al-Qahtani is said to have shown up at a morgue bearing torture marks after being transported from the Riyadh hotel where he had been imprisoned by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 5, 2018
The two far-right Ieaders plan to meet in an apparent effort to hurry up the U.S. president's announcement of the “Deal of the Century” between Israel and the Palestinians. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 4, 2018
One of the surprises of the Mueller investigation is how entangled the United Arab Emirates is with Israel, and how their lobbies shape American policy. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentMar 1, 2018
Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Chris Murphy, D-Conn., propose a bipartisan resolution to take the Pentagon out of the conflict started by Saudi Arabia in 2015. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 28, 2018
U.S. intelligence agencies are gunning for President Trump's son-in-law and have leaked charges that officials in several nations have strategized how to use him as a pawn. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 27, 2018
The government offers no explanation for the seismic upheaval in the Saudi officer corps, but it is widely believed that the palace is impatient with the Yemen war quagmire. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 26, 2018
Despite significant problems and unequal income distribution, Iran’s economy is seeing bright spots that the Western press rarely admits. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 24, 2018
The rapid rise of green power and the decline of coal are occurring despite a Trump administration determined to put its thumb on the scale for fossil fuels. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 22, 2018
In many key ways, America’s political and financial practices make it far more corrupt than the usual global suspects. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 21, 2018
One of the most distressing takeaways from the country's civil war is that the United Nations does not work and the hopes of the framers of its 1945 charter have been dashed. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 19, 2018
It's simple: semi-automatic rifles. President Trump keeps droning on about gang violence. Could this offer a path to legislating restrictions on these firearms? Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 18, 2018
The country’s march to this renewable is a reason for climate optimism because it is happening under adverse circumstances. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 16, 2018
Schools have repeatedly been struck from the air by Saudi, UAE, Moroccan and Jordanian pilots using American-supplied planes and bombs, in a campaign backed by Washington and the United Kingdom. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 14, 2018
There are parallels between the Israeli prime minister's situation and the U.S. president's. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 11, 2018
The Trump administration is reportedly going into the Iraq reconstruction conference in Kuwait with no plans to help pay for the effort. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 10, 2018
If Russia was involved, it may be a sign of Vladimir Putin’s determination to assert the prerogatives of his nation's sphere of influence in Syria. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 6, 2018
Here's a look at how the president is failing his base, which voted him into office on his promise that he could cure their economic woes. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentFeb 5, 2018
Scientists find more evidence that a massive comet slammed into the Upper Midwest about 13,000 years ago, sparking wildfires that began a 1,200-year deep freeze. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 31, 2018
The president's address has all the elements of fascism, except brownshirts marching in the street beating people up, though he has veered toward that in his praise of neo-Nazis. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 29, 2018
The Associated Press has done a fact check of President Trump’s bizarre assertions on climate change in an interview with his friend Piers Morgan. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 28, 2018
The word "emissions” is bland and means nothing to most people. Maybe a cruder choice can embarrass them into realizing the urgency of the global environmental crisis. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 26, 2018
The hopes of the Trump administration to use the Syrian Kurds as a wedge against the government of Bashar Assad in Damascus may be rapidly fading. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 24, 2018
King Abdullah II may be afraid that his American alliance, unpopular with many in his country, will tag him as a traitor to Islam and the Arab nation. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 22, 2018
Ankara's appeal for NATO support for its military campaign receives a cool reception from the United States. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 21, 2018
American mass media journalism—at least as practiced by 24-hour news channels—is broken. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 20, 2018
The move comes after the U.S. announces it will arm and train a Kurdish force to police Syria’s borders to ensure Islamic State does not re-emerge. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 18, 2018
The most troubling feature of a recent mishmash of a talk by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was the intent to keep U.S. troops in eastern Syria for the long haul. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 15, 2018
On a 1957 trip to Ghana in connection with its independence from Britain, King and his wife, Coretta, learned the sordid story of colonial oppression. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 14, 2018
After he was informed that the alert about an incoming missile was a false alarm, the president let Hawaiians twist in the wind. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 13, 2018
American rivals and enemies may take advantage of Donald Trump’s insult to Africa, the Caribbean and Central America to reduce U.S. leverage and increase their own. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 12, 2018
The United States created crises in countries like Haiti and El Salvador in the name of corporate greed and American hegemony, and now is turning away refugees fleeing grim conditions. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 11, 2018
Despite President Trump's one-off firing of missiles in response to the Syrian regime’s use of chemical weapons last spring, the U.S. appears to have ceded the area to Russia. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 10, 2018
American hard-liners have called for ratcheting up sanctions on Iran, instead of reducing them, as required under the nuclear deal made by the Obama administration. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 7, 2018
In his new book "Fire and Fury," Michael Wolff makes a number of allegations about the U.S. president's role in the Gulf crisis that, if true, help explain the mess in that part of the Middle East. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 6, 2018
As a source of electricity, coal use has fallen 85 percent in just five years, and the government plans to get rid of it entirely by 2025. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 5, 2018
The regime has been challenged, and the future of the country depends on whether the ayatollahs rise to that challenge. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 4, 2018
The former White House chief strategist's trash-talking about the Trumps in Michael Wolff’s new book is not political suicide and doesn't just reflect pique. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 3, 2018
The U.S. faces a more favorable foreign policy environment than it has in some years. Ironically, some of the more severe challenges emanate from President Trump. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentJan 3, 2018
The question for many protesters no longer seems to be high-priced food. Rather, the clerical regime itself is the target. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 31, 2017
The president's tweets about the welfare of Iranians upset over reduced government subsidies for commodities are disingenuous. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 27, 2017
Eager to show social progress, the kingdom loosened the women's dress code for the event. It wasn't enough—not to mention that Israel was snubbed. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 26, 2017
Of all his (often contradictory) campaign promises, the president’s actions came closest to the version where he lets the key Middle Eastern country go to the Russians. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 24, 2017
In today’s U.S., Dreamers are undocumented young people who were brought here as children—much as Christ's parents took him to Galilee. Should he have been deported? Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 21, 2017
Trump and Ambassador Nikki Haley (pictured) threaten a cutoff of aid to countries that vote against U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 20, 2017
The president’s strategy document calls for cooperation with allies, but he has assiduously insulted and alienated most of them. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 20, 2017
Republicans engineer a coup against the middle and working classes and throw enormous amounts of public money to private billionaires and multimillionaires with the tax bill. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 16, 2017
The country’s congress overwhelmingly passes the law on its second reading, aiming for 37,000 EVs in five years. Meanwhile, the U.S. Congress' tax bill promotes carbon-based energy. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 14, 2017
The Organization of the Islamic Conference also rejects President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel—and the U.S. as a mediator in the peace process. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 13, 2017
The Trump wing of the Republican Party is now committed to a form of politics indistinguishable from Muslim fundamentalism. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 11, 2017
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Turkish President Tayipp Erdogan accused one another of grave human rights offenses recently. Who has the better case? Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 10, 2017
People in other nations are applauding the defeat of the terrorist group on the battlefield and its destruction as a territorial state in Syria. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 7, 2017
Some in the Trump administration want to push Iran out of the Arab world, but those actors have just been handed a big setback. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 6, 2017
Moving the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is not a “recognition of reality" but rather a deadly provocation that could get Americans blown up. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentDec 4, 2017
A new study shows that in 2017, owning and operating a purely electric vehicle such as the Chevy Bolt or Tesla 3 is cheaper than operating a gasoline automobile. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 30, 2017
On Wednesday, our president tried to press fascism on Britain, disrespecting the U.S. service personnel who lost their lives fighting Nazism. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 30, 2017
The Vermont senator and a few others have introduced a bill to rebuild Puerto Rico, calling it a “Marshall Plan” for the islands. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 29, 2017
Media are all atwitter over the prince's engagement to the mixed-race American actress—interesting, since genealogists claim he is descended from Muhammad. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 22, 2017
The organization is embroiled in internal strife among its 22 members, largely having to do with Iran’s role in the Middle East. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 19, 2017
At least 50,000 are expected to die as indirect casualties this year, and nearly 400,000 will need treatment for acute malnutrition. Meanwhile, aid groups are being actively interfered with. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 18, 2017
Saudi Arabia denies Lebanese President Michel Aoun's charge that it held Hariri as a hostage. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 17, 2017
The U.S. dropped from first place to sixth in the survey of 22,000 people around the world, who ranked countries on six scales. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 16, 2017
Lebanese President Michel Aoun says he thinks Prime Minister Saad Hariri is being detained in Saudi Arabia. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 15, 2017
Turkey is outraged by a reported deal that would threaten autonomy for Kurds backed by that country. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 14, 2017
Meanwhile, a U.S. “sub-national” delegation pledges to meet climate goals and slash emissions of greenhouse gases. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 12, 2017
The Trump strategy of slapping penalties on alternative technologies and giving fossil fuels subsidies has a very limited shelf life. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 11, 2017
The group's secretary-general says Saudis forced the Lebanese prime minister to announce his resignation in a bid to destabilize his country. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 9, 2017
Syria's army has taken control of the city of Al-Bu Kamal, the last base for Islamic State on the Syrian-Iraqi border. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 8, 2017
France says that "for the moment," the U.S. president is not welcome at the December summit. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 7, 2017
Saudi Arabia's military, however, is bogged down in Yemen and unlikely to go to war with Lebanon. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 5, 2017
An “anti-corruption” commission led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman took dozens into custody, including billionaire Al-Waleed Bin Talal (pictured). Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 4, 2017
The secretary of energy says electrification using hydrocarbons would prevent sexual assaults in rural Africa. But such fuels can just as well be blamed for mass rapes during wartime. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentNov 1, 2017
Trump's chief of staff implied that the South can't be blamed for trying to retain the practice in the 1860s because at the time most of the world's people favored slavery. Not true. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 29, 2017
First, the region's independence vote was ordered annulled by Iraq's prime minister. Now, Barzani has announced he will not run for re-election. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 28, 2017
In the first six months of 2017, moving air supplied 57 percent of Scotland's electricity, and authorities seek to have renewables provide all of it by 2020. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 27, 2017
The Kurds' leader, Massoud Barzani, had offered to suspend the results of the recent independence vote, but Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi is playing hardball. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 26, 2017
At the Hospital del Niño in San Juan, Elon Musk's company has already put up an electricity generating facility powered by the sun. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 24, 2017
In the face of advancing government forces, the Islamic State group in Syria is going back to its roots as a small terrorist organization. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 22, 2017
The apparent increase could be just an illusion, and there's no evidence that Muslims are responsible for any uptick in violence. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 21, 2017
Meanwhile, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the foremost Iraqi clerical leader, asks his government to protect Kurdish civilians. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 20, 2017
Until the Republican Party comes to terms with its decades of latent prejudice, it will continue to create politicians like the current president. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 18, 2017
The extremists were defeated by Muslims: That should be the headline. That is what Americans have trouble getting their heads around. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 16, 2017
On Sunday night, artillery duels broke out between Iraqi army forces and Kurdish Peshmerga paramilitary personnel to the south of the city of Kirkuk. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 15, 2017
Archaeological identification of Arabic text on Viking burial garments in Sweden and DNA tests showing Iranian origins is the source of a tizzy. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 14, 2017
The list of grievances the Trump administration presents against Iran has nothing to do with the nuclear deal. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 9, 2017
The two countries have ceased processing non-immigrant visas for each other’s citizens. In a world of abnormal goings-on, this one is really weird. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 8, 2017
Plummeting in the polls, the president may be tempted into "Wag the Dog"-type military action against the two countries. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentOct 1, 2017
The president's petulant tweet storm Saturday accused Puerto Ricans of wanting everything done for them. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 27, 2017
The Middle Eastern kingdom is the only country in the world to forbid its female citizens to drive automobiles. But lifting the ban is not enough. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
By Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 26, 2017
The president has been giving his full attention to protesting the behavior of athletes while Puerto Ricans struggle in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 25, 2017
The unique history of Iraq's Kurds has driven most of them in a separatist direction. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 24, 2017
The president's recent tweetstorm was intended to gain him popularity with white supremacists and covert racists on the right of the Republican Party. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )
By Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 23, 2017
About 70,000 residents are in danger because of a dam that may burst due to recent hurricanes. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 20, 2017
In his speech, the president threatened to wipe out North Korea, then turned his wrath to Iran, again pledging to undermine the 2015 nuclear deal. And that wasn't all. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )
By Juan Cole / Informed CommentSep 19, 2017
Kurdistan Regional Government President Massoud Barzani says he will power through the referendum despite protests. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )
Juan Cole / Informed ContentSep 17, 2017
After the storm in Florida, millions have been without power, but those with solar panels were able to restore electricity immediately. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )
Join our newsletterStay up to date with the latest from Truthdig. Join the Truthdig Newsletter for our latest publications.
Now you can personalize your Truthdig experience. To bookmark your favorite articles and follow your favorite authors, please login or create a user profile.
Now you can personalize your Truthdig experience. To bookmark your favorite articles and follow your favorite authors, upgrade to supporter.