Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- June 23, 2014

In Looted Kirkuk Armory, Hints Of The Iraqi Crisis Endgame -- Dominique Soguel, CSM

The Iraqi military fled from the oil city, leaving behind their weapons for rebels and smugglers. As Secretary of State John Kerry seeks unity in Baghdad, Kurds are expanding their territory.

Kirkuk, Iraq — On the the outskirts of this oil-rich city lies a sprawling air base that was picked clean of its weapons two weeks ago after the Iraqi army cut and ran during an offensive by Sunni insurgents.

Neither the city – nor the air base – fell to the militant Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) and other Sunni Arab fighters whose rebellion has lit a fuse in Baghdad. Instead the new masters of Kirkuk are Kurdish peshmerga fighters who have used the unraveling of Iraq's army to extend the territorial claims of Iraq's Kurdish minority.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- June 23, 2014

Iraq, Syria Conflicts Merge, Feed Off Each Other -- Zeina Karam & Qassim Abdul-Zahra, AP

Iraq’s Northern Front Is … Complicated -- Kevin Knodell, War Is Boring

Maliki Isn’t The Problem. Oil Is. -- Nora Bensahel, Defense One

After success in Iraq and Syria, ISIL will find it tougher to crack Jordan -- Taylor Luck, The National

Should U.S. work with Iran in Iraq? Yes, if it wants to take on the real challenge: China -- Trita Parsi, Reuters

Pakistan’s Offensive, America’s Withdrawal -- Steve Coll, New Yorker

Pakistan’s nuclear security faces insider threat -- Reshmi Kazi, Hindustan Times

China and America: Dancing Around the Containment Question -- Joseph A. Bosco, National Interest

Should the US Be Bullish or Bearish on China’s Rise? -- Amy Zegart, American Interest

A secret-recording scandal is rocking Poland. Here's what you should know. -- Monika Rębała, CSM

Obama ignores voices of wars past -- DeWayne Wickham, USA Today

How Obama Misread the Public -- Max Boot, Commentary

Breaking Down Obama's Grand Strategy -- Hal Brands, National Interest