My main expertise is in the past, but if I have to extrapolate into the future, I would say: no good news any time soon and an obvious exit strategy is not apparent to me.
Juan ColeIt's not proper for a professor to go before a class and promote one party or another. That's not academic scholarship.
Juan ColeIf you put your politicians up for sale, as the US does (alone in this among industrialized democracies), then someone will buy them--and it wonโt be you; you canโt afford them.
Juan ColeMr. Bush, I don't recognize the world you paint. I find your speech a form of sheer propaganda, having almost no relationship to reality. ...You can't 'stay the course' because you don't have a course.
Juan ColeI argued that the Bush administration, and the Coalition officials more recently, didn't understand Iraqi society. They thought it was a blank slate, that they could use Iraqis as guinea pigs.
Juan ColeTo the extent that the (ISIS's) advance is a series of urban revolts against the government of PM Nouri al-Maliki, the US would end up bombing ordinary city folk. For the US to be bombing Sunni towns all these years later on behalf of Mr. al-Maliki would be to invite terrorism against the US.
Juan Cole