Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 21, 2014

Screen grab from video of James Foley killing. REUTERS via REUTER TV

Did America’s Policy On Ransom Contribute To James Foley’s Killing? -- David Rohde, Reuters

Somewhere in the desert of eastern Syria, a militant from the Islamic State beheaded the American journalist James Foley this week. The killer and his terrorist group are responsible for Foley’s death. They should be the focus of public anger.

But Foley’s execution is also a chilling wake-up call for American and European policymakers, as well as U.S. news outlets and aid organizations. It is the clearest evidence yet of how vastly different responses to kidnappings by U.S. and European governments save European hostages but can doom the Americans. Hostages and their families realize this fully — even if the public does not.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- August 21, 2014

Foley Case Lays Bare Debate Over Paying Ransom -- Lara Jakes and Ellen Knickmeyer, AP

Why did US refuse Islamic State ransom demand for James Foley? -- Howard LaFranchi, CSM

The Islamic State buys itself a day of horror, little else, by killing James Foley -- Jack Shafer, Reuters

The west should take note: there is no avoiding Isis -- Shiraz Maher, The Guardian

Today Isis is attacking the Middle East. Tomorrow it’ll be the West -- James Bloodworth, The Independent

Destroy the Islamic State Now -- Gen. John Allen (Ret.), Defense One

Iran Speaks More Softly But Keeps Building Bigger Sticks -- Tony Capaccio, Bloomberg

Iran’s Moderate President Loses a Minister—and Some Momentum for Reform -- Kay Armin Serjoie, Time

This 16th Century Battle Created the Modern Middle East -- Akhilesh Pillalamarri, The Diplomat


India's Gandhi family is a dynasty on the rocks -- Syed Nazakat, CSM

Thailand Under the Junta -- Rohan Radheya, The Diplomat

Make Russia an offer on Ukraine it can’t refuse -- Olga Oliker and Keith Crane, Special to CNN

Putin's war on McDonald's ends an era of hope -- Leonid Bershidsky, Chicago Tribune/Bloomberg News

When Sanctions Lead to War -- Paul Saunders, NYT

‘Braveheart’ they’re not. What’s Scotland’s problem with a United Kingdom? -- John Lloyd, Reuters

'I Could Have Stopped Them': Ex-CIA Lawyer Defends Waterboarding Decision -- Interview Conducted by Holger Stark, Spiegel Online