> Yes, I have my own set of issues with Professor Cole's interpretations
> of events - though I have to say I respect and admire his efforts to
> provide his readers with information from primary Arab and Iranian sources.
>
> I'm curious as to why you describe him as "confused". His position
> seems pretty consistent even if I don't always agree with elements of
> his analysis.
To interpret is to try and understand. What is the core of his belief because, frankly, I find his analysis confusing. Not as bad as the always awful Scott Ritter, who just got an op-ed space at Al Jazeera Net online (people forget AJ is really a broadcast network) in order to advance the theory that Saddam's intelligence agency is behind the 'Zarqawi is everywhere' theory without once addressing the idea that the Zaraqawi phenomenon is one created by the US in order to justify its brutal military actions against a legitimate resistance in Fallujah (as well as explain away CentCom's own incompetence, in the case of one supporting that brutal agenda). I love how the 'bitter Saddam holdout' buncombe gets to converge with the 'foreign fighters, Iraq is the frontline against terrorism' bullshit in order to enable Scott to do his part, however minor and peripheral, in feeding the pod people at the center of the matrix. Maybe Ted will have him back on BenightLine again soon.
As for Cole, well, let me say this: I have this cute chihuahua. Genetically he's almost a wolf who wants to run with the pack, howling through the empty cities of a destroyed human civilization. But in reality, he's a good little lapdoggy who never bites the hand that feeds him manufactured meat product tidbits. I understand him, but I think he's confused, conflicted. (BTW, to all the list, the milk you drink is a highly processed, partly manufactured product, though much of what it is made from does indeed come from the udders of hormone-altered, specially bred cows, most definitely true if you drink skim or low-fat milk. I recommend unadulterated goat's milk if you can get it.)
Signing off for the holidays. Happy Christmas to any who observe it, and to all good night.
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