Trump Is Not Going to Save the U.K. From the Consequences of Brexit

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Jul 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 )

Did Trump Try to Woo Muslim Envoys With a Dinner?

Juan Cole / Informed Comment Jun 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 )

China’s Green Shift Positions It to Overtake U.S. in Energy, Security

Juan Cole / Informed Content May 27, 2018 The country's turn to wind and solar is not only to protect the environment, although the Chinese government faced increasing urban protests if it did not clean up the air. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Why Mike Pompeo’s ‘Severest Sanctions’ on Iran Will Backfire

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 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 )

Calling Latinos ‘Animals’ Echoes Nazi Talk

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 17, 2018 The term functions similarly to the Nazi technical term “untermensch,” or underman, subhuman. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Can Palestinians Be Killed by Israelis? Or Do They Only ‘Die’?

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 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 )

A Brief History of Jews in Jerusalem

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 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 )

John Kelly’s ‘Family Separation’ Recalls Slave-Era Practice

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 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 )

Trump’s Moves on Iran Are From the Iraq War Playbook

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 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 )

No, Iran and Hezbollah Haven’t Taken Over Lebanon

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 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 )

Obama Iran Deal Officials Targeted by Trump Via Israeli Spy Agency

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 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 )

The Hemisphere’s Biggest Solar Plant Is in Mexico, Not the U.S.

Juan Cole / Informed Comment May 6, 2018 Mexico plans to produce 43 percent of its electricity from renewables within six years. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )