Quotes by Juan Cole

“[The size of the sea But others say the debate is important because it can determine whether actions are taken that help stem the violence - or make matters worse.] The question is how you reduce the number of bases [the terrorists have] and the size of the sea in which they swim, ... What something like the Iraq war does is increase the number of bases you have to deal with and the sea they have to swim in.”

“They are like lobbyists. Theyre spreading the money around, so whoever wins owes them.”

“I just cannot understand this sort of argument.”

“A U.S. withdrawal would not cause the Sunnis suddenly to want to give up their major demands; indeed, they might well be emboldened to hit the Shiites harder.”

“My gut tells me the letter is a forgery.”

“This vote is sort of a national vote of confidence for that leadership.”

“They began to see some advantages to federalism - one of them being that the parties would control the resources.”

“This thing is an enormous fiasco, ... really undermines its legitimacy, and this result guarantees the guerrilla war will go on.”

“... will play the role of rejection in the new Iraq. They are going to demand that all the controversial points in the constitution be addressed right away.”

“The question is how you reduce the number of bases [the terrorists have] and the size of the sea in which they swim. What something like the Iraq war does is increase the number of bases you have to deal with and the sea they have to swim in.”

If you put your politicians up for sale, as the US does (alone in this among industrialized democracies), then someone will buy them--and it won’t be you; you can’t afford them.

I also argued before the war that the administration was underestimating Arab nationalism and Iraqi nationalism, that it was not going to be as easy to rule Iraq as they thought.

I argued that the Bush administration, and the Coalition officials more recently, didnt understand Iraqi society. They thought it was a blank slate, that they could use Iraqis as guinea pigs.