Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- January 7, 2014

Syrian Rebels Battle With al-Qaeda Fighters as Iraq Implodes Next Door -- Aryn Baker, Time

Messy, factional strife in Syria—taking place as al-Qaeda emerges once more in Iraq—is playing into the hands of Syrian President Bashar Assad

There is no surer sign of a liberated city than the release of prisoners. But in the case of Raqqa, in northern Syria, the 50 prisoners in question were not captives of the government, but of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS], an al-Qaeda franchise ostensibly aligned with rebels pushing for the fall of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Even as ISIS, which got its start as al-Qaeda in Iraq back in the days of the American war, regains territory in the Iraqi province of Anbar, it is slowly being pushed out of its northern Syrian strongholds by a broad coalition of moderate and Islamist groups fed up with its draconian interpretations of Islamic law and its abuses of power.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Obama's Inaction Isn't Destroying the Middle East -- Jeffrey Goldberg, Bloomberg

Obama's Syrian Failure May Become a Blessing -- Jeffrey Goldberg, Bloomberg

Iraq at crossroads between reconciliation and war: analysts -- AFP

Falluja standoff between Iraqi army and insurgents poses dilemma for Obama -- Ewen MacAskill, The Guardian

Iraq’s Squandered Opportunity -- Max Boot, Commentary

Analysis: Battles between armed gangs in Beirut could affect relative calm on Israel's northern border -- Alex Fishman, YNet

Talk of Chinese hegemony forgets US regional interest -- Tom Switzer, Sydney Morning Herald

China Risks Becoming Asia's Voldemort -- Keiichi Hayashi, The Telegraph

Avada Kedavra! China and Japan Get All Harry Potter -- William Pesek, Bloomberg

Geo-political disputes and economic links mark Sino-Japanese relations -- The China Post

The China-Japan trade war is pretty much over—for now -- Matt Phillips, Quartz

China’s North Korea Opportunity -- Harry Kazianis, The Diplomat

Give Dennis Rodman a break -- Andray Abrahamian, CNN

Time for U.S. to focus on Western Sahara -- Michael Rubin, Special to CNN

Scotland secession could lead to re-Balkanization of Europe -- George Robertson, Washington Post

The al-Qaedastan Threat -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast

Five things that won’t happen in the Middle East this year -- Faisal Al Yafai, The National