BushCo Puts A Jihad On Juan Cole

You can't really blame Karl Rove and Company for declaring war on Professor Juan Cole. After all, Cole has put almost as much effort into getting the truth out about the Iraq Debacle as the Radical Right has put into lying about it.

Senior Bush Apologist Christopher Hitchens reportedly questioned Professor Cole's credentials last Wednesday during a debate against British antiwar MP George Galloway, and undoubtedly did so in response to a Salon article posted a couple weeks ago wherein Cole blasted Hitchen's ridiculously Pro-Bush take on the Iraq War. This is from Informed Comment, Juan Cole's website:

I am told that Hitchens said words to the effect that I "claimed" to know Arabic and Persian but that I had never been in the region to his knowledge, and that I changed my mind every two seconds. * * *

I have gotten a number of emails in recent weeks from readers who said they encountered people in cyberspace who alleged that I do not know Middle Eastern languages. So regardless of what Hitchens may or may not have said, it seems fairly obvious that there is some sort of Karl Rove-type campaign of disinformation out there in which I am being attacked on my strengths. You will remember that the Bushies arranged for doubt to be cast on John Kerry's distinguished war record, while conveniently papering over Bush's own dodging of the Vietnam war and his failure to continue to report for duty even on the homefront.

Cole is right that this is a classic Rovian attack in the making. And here is his response:

It is sort of silly for me to have to do so, but I don't mind telling Mr. Hitchens about my experience in "the region." With regard to extended stays, here is the itinerary: in Eritrea (at that time part of Ethiopia) 1967-1968; Lebanon Sept. 1974- Mar. 1975, then Sept. 1975-November 1975, then summer 1977, then June 1978-April 1979; Jordan Dec. 1975-May 1976; Egypt in 1976-1978, 1985-1986, summer 1988; Pakistan Sept. 1981-Jan. 1982, March-April 1983, Jan. 1986, May, 1988; summer 1990; India (mainly hanging around with Muslims in Lucknow and Delhi) Jan. 1982-Mar. 1983. In addition, I have visited for periods between a few days and a month some of the same countries plus the following countries: Iran, Syria, Turkey, Yemen, Bahrain, Qatar, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Gambia, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan,and Israel. I have never attempted to hide my lack of experience in Iraq. * * *

I studied Arabic at Northwestern University beginning in 1972, and went on to do a Master of Arts degree in Arabic Studies at the American University in Cairo; Arabic literature was a field for my interdisciplinary Ph.D. from UCLA. Most of my books have involved extensive reading in manuscripts, archival documents and printed works in Arabic.

Of course, Cole is absolutely right in assuming that the right-wing attacks against him will simply continue in another form now that he has once again shot down Christopher Hitchens: "Now my enemies will turn around and say that I am pompous and self-important for providing this information in the way of self-defense. Whatever."

Keep on fighting, Professor.