Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- July 17, 2013

In Homs, Syria, several central areas have been gradually destroyed as they have changed hands several times between the Syrian rebels and the army. Yazan Homsy/Reuters

Ruins In A Center Of Syria’s Uprising -- Anne Barnard and an employee with the New York Times

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Little by little, the central Syrian city of Homs is losing its infrastructure and its landmarks. The national hospital lies in ruins. Rebel-held neighborhoods stretch for blocks without an intact building. Many government offices are closed. The silver-domed mosque of Khalid bin al-Waleed — named for an early Islamic warrior particularly revered by Sunnis — stands pockmarked and perforated.

Abandoned cars rust beneath piles of rubble and downed wires.

Homs was an early bellwether of what Syria would become. One of the first cities to rise up in rebellion, it was home to mass demonstrations. As protests turned to armed revolt, the city began to split, largely along sectarian lines, with much of the Sunni majority supporting the uprising and members of President Bashar al-Assad’s Alawite sect joining pro-government militias. Now, after more than a year of siege, bombardment and clashes, which have intensified recently as the government has renewed its assault on rebel strongholds, Homs may well be the site of the most concentrated destruction in the country.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Obama’s Confused Syria Policy -- Bloomberg editorial

What is the U.S. policy in Syria? -- Daily Star editorial

Jordan reflects a wider Arab dilemma -- Rami G. Khouri, The Daily Star

The Arabs Will Have Their Gettysburgs -- Leon Hadar, National Interest

Have We Forgotten About Iraq? -- John Amble, War On The Rocks

A New Drone Deal For Pakistan: How to Bargain With a Newly Drone-Skeptical Islamabad -- Daniel Markey, Foreign Affairs

Tibetans lose patience after 50 years of peaceful protest -- Kapil Komireddi, The National

North Korea missiles: Are North Korea and Cuba boosting ties? -- Steven Borowiec, Christian Science Monitor

U.S. Must Follow FDR's Lead on Asia -- Michael Fullilove, Real Clear World/The Australian

France's foreign minister says US no longer dictates world events -- Tim Johnson, McClatchy News

Will Europe Hit a Demographic Tipping Point? -- Aaron M. Renn, New Geography

Snowden, Russia's Unwelcome Guest -- Georgy Bovt, The Moscow Times

Don’t Boycott Olympics Over Snowden -- Seth Mandel, Commentary

Tsarnaev on Rolling Stone cover: Rock-star treatment or good journalism? -- Gloria Goodale, Christian Science Monitor

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