What does Professor Juan Cole think?

I frequently turn to Dr. Juan Cole's Informed Consent in an effort to understand the current mess in Iraq and the balance of Southwest Asia. I'm learning Arabic even now and find it tremendously difficult to understand the language and the culture in that region. We surely need to heed experts in this mysterious and complex place. Professor Cole also can handle Farsi and we all know that might be a blessing given these difficult days. John Gunn