Informed Comment

Thoughts on the Middle East, History, and Religion

Juan Cole is President of the Global Americana Institute

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Cole on Aljazeera English re: Iraq

For the seventh anniversary of the launching of the Iraq War, Jasim al-Azzawi interviews Juergen Todenhoefer and myself:






End/ (Not Continued)

posted by Juan Cole @ 3/20/2010 12:32:00 AM

3 Comments:

At 3:24 AM, Blogger Stephane MOT said...

good to remind of the denial regarding the civil war caused by US invasion, and the ability of US citizens to forget that mess.

I agree with the progresses, but damages in the minds will last and come back to haunt the US. In Iraq as well as home.

If found Jurgen a bit too much pessimistic, but right on the importance of Reconciliation, vital after any civil war.

And I found the journalist a bit too much focused on getting provocative statements.

It was great to finish on the harsh judgement of History on the invasion, and the manipulations that led to it.

 
At 10:52 AM, Blogger Billy Glad said...

Such an important interview. First, I sympathize with you for suffering through the German. The interviewer did a great job of making sure you got a word in edgewise. And I couldn't help smiling along with you when Todenhoefer launched into a description of the personal attacks people had made on him and his career.

It was interesting to see you providing some balance to Todenhoefer's views on "progress" in Iraq from a historical perspective. You'll probably be attacked for that, too. I think your assessment of what we know and don't know was particularly valuable. It reminded me that "history" is made from contemporary accounts by historians who are simply paying attention to what's going on. And I'm not dismissive of Todenhoefer. Someone should write the history of this era from the Iraqi point of view, as Brown wrote the history of our West from the Native American point of view. But maybe Iraqi historians will do that.

In the meantime, you continue to demonstrate what a mistake Yale made by not hiring you when they had the chance.

 
At 10:03 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

An excellent interview - again thanks to Al Jazeera!

Contrary to the other two comments I was rather sympathetic to Todenhoefer's point of view as well. I did not see the argument as Prof. Cole vs. Todenhoefer. It is a very complex matter and there can be many points of view - and both of you are to be admired for what you said, and more importantly, what you do.

 

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