Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 12, 2017

‘The YPG has been instrumental in retaking territory from Isis.’ Kurdish fighters from the YPG – the Peoples’ Protection Units – guard a convoy of US military vehicles in the Syrian town of Darbasiya, near the Turkish border. Photograph: Rodi Said/Reuters

Ranj Alaaldin, The Guardian: Arming the Kurdish fighters of the YPG could backfire spectacularly on the US

Sending heavy weapons to a secular militia for the final assault on Isis was an easy decision for the US. But it comes with heavy responsibilities

The US has not been spoilt for choice when choosing what, if any, side to support in Syria. In part this is because opposition rebel groups have struggled to put their differences aside and work together to overthrow Bashar al-Assad’s regime; but it also due to misguided and miscalculated US engagement in the conflict, and the region. And the west’s shift of focus to Islamic State stifled the campaign to overthrow Assad.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 12, 2017

The Future of Iran’s Militant Proxies in Iraq -- M. Eisenstadt & M. Knights, War on the Rocks

Sending More Troops to Afghanistan Won’t Win the War -- Daniel Lewis, American Conservative

Analyst: U.S., North Korea must negotiate before next nuclear test -- Elizabeth Shim, UPI

CIA Says It Will Spy Even Harder on Pyongyang -- Joseph Trevithick, The War Zone

China is stepping up its game in emerging Asia as US pulls back -- Leslie Shaffer, CNBC

China’s Economic Reforms Have Hit a Wall -- Scout Kennedy, RCW

Lessons for peace in Somalia -- Ludger Schadomsky, DW

The danger of resetting relations with Russia -- John Lloyd, Reuters

The Cost of Fixing Russia’s Economy -- Xander Snyder, Geopolitical Futures

Comey's Firing Helps Demean the U.S. Globally -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

The Comey affair: What happens now that Trump fired the head of the FBI? -- Rebecca Staudenmaier, DW

Information warfare versus soft power -- Joseph S. Nye Jr., The Strategist

Spy Chief Searching for Cuts Across Entire US Intelligence Community -- Kevin Baron, Defense One

The First Signs Of A National Mobilization For War Are Appearing -- Daniel Gouré, RCD

Podcast: Stretching the special forces thin -- Matthew Gault, Reuters