Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- July 7, 2011

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, President Barack Obama, and Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates salute as troops parade past the reviewing stand during the Armed Forces Farewell Tribute in honor of Secretary Gates at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., June 30, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Stop Searching For An Obama Doctrine -- Fareed Zakaria, Washington Post

Every few months, commentators find a new grand strategy that animates Barack Obama. First he was the antiwar candidate, because his rise in the Democratic primaries had much to do with his early and consistent opposition to the Iraq war. But even some on the right, including Robert Kagan, pointed out that he was interventionist on other issues, such as Afghanistan. Some criticized his multilateralism, pointing to his offers of engagement to all comers, from Iran to Russia to China. More recently, watching his vigorous outreach to Asian countries threatened by China, the scholar Daniel Drezner concluded that the new grand strategy was one of “counterpunching.”

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

US decline is the world's the greatest threat -- Anatole Kaletsky, The Australian

Iran Approaching Fission? I’m Talking Politics, not Nukes… -- Michael Ledeen, Pajamas Media

What’s up with those Jiang Zemin death rumors? -- Robert Zeliger, Passport/Foreign Policy

Blood, Oil, and Sudan -- Ambassador Richard S. Williamson, The American

As Sudan breaks in two, more than oil will fuel economies -- Zach Vertin and Aly Verjee, The National

Horn of Africa: From one drought to another -- Guardian editorial

Obama plays hide the Somali: Congress needs to limit terrorist access to U.S. legal system -- Washington Times editorial

Exploding implants: The next terror threat? -- The Week

Obama’s terrorist ‘catch and release’ policy -- Marc A. Thiessen, Washington Post

Assimilation’s Failure, Terrorism’s Rise -- Kenan Malik, New York Times

China rocks South China Sea boat -- John J. Metzler, Japan Times

China to Trounce U.S. in Next Decade -- Martin Jacques, National Interest

China Rare Earths: The Saga Continues -- Elizabeth C. Economy, Council On Foreign Relations

Fumbling Toward Default -- New York Times editorial