Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 19, 2014

The power of the Islamic State terrorist group, pictured here, stretches from the steppe between Marea and al-Bab in northwestern Syria to an area around 100 kilometers outside of Baghdad in Iraq. Reuters

Caliphate of Fear: The Curse of the Islamic State -- Spiegel Online

Images of Yazidis fleeing parts of Iraq and Syria have shocked the world and the battle against the jihadists with the Islamic State has united Americans, Europeans, Kurds and Iranians. Can the Islamists be stopped?

In Raqqa, Syria, the Islamic State's "caliphate" has already become a reality. All women in the city are required to wear the niqab veil and pants are banned. Thieves have their hands hacked off and opponents are publicly crucified or beheaded, with the images of these horrific acts then posted on social networks.

The few hair salons that are still open are required to black out the pictures of women on the packaging for hair dye solutions. Weddings are only permitted to take place without music. And at livestock markets, the hindquarters of goats and sheep must be covered in order to prevent men from viewing their genitalia and having uncomely thoughts.

Any person caught out on the street during the five daily prayer times is risking his or her life.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 19, 2014

A Blueprint to Save Iraq from Disaster? -- Maxmillian Angerholzer III & James Kitfield, National Interest

I watched the Rwandan genocide unfold. We’re making the same mistakes in Iraq. -- Roméo Dallaire, Washington Post

How Many Tons Of Cement Will It Take To Rebuild Gaza? - David Kenner, Foreign Policy

Forget About a Kindler Gentler Iran -- Nina Strochlic, Daily Beast

Lebanon to US: We need military aid, too -- Nicholas Blanford, CSM

Will the U.S. Defend Japan? More of a Definite Maybe -- Paul Sracic, The Diplomat

Japan's polarising PM Abe learns the long game -- Linda Sieg, Tetsushi Kajimoto and Yuko Yoshikawa, Reuters

As maritime disputes simmer, Vietnam counts cost of anti-China riots -- Ralph Jennings, CSM

Is American foreign policy for sale to the highest-bidding hawk? -- Daniel W. Drezner, Washington Post

Europe's Malaise: The New Normal? -- George Friedman, Startfor

Is the Kremlin's two-avenue 'diplomacy' in Ukraine paying off? -- Fred Weir, CSM

What makes a Pope say yes to war? -- Tim Fernholz, Quartz

Will There Soon Be Three Living Popes? -- Barbie Latza Nadeau, Daily Beast

Can central bankers succeed in getting global economy back on track? -- Anatole Kaletsky, Reuters