Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 10, 2014

Turkish Kurds look towards the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani from the top of a hill close to the border line between Turkey and Syria near Mursitpinar bordergate October 10, 2014. Credit: Reuters/Umit Bektas

Kobani Is Falling To ISIS In Syria. Kurd Protests Explode In Turkey. -- Jamie Dettmer, Daily Beast

The Erdogan government’s refusal to save a Kurdish town from the jihadists across the border could reignite a civil war in its own territory.

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — It is like old times. Kurdish protestors clashing with Turkish riot police in towns across southeastern Turkey and ultranationalists taking to the streets, too, flashing the symbol of the Grey Wolves, a violent far-right group that was responsible for more than 700 murders in the vicious political violence that engulfed the country in the 1970s.

But the events provoking this madness are absolutely current. Just across the border in Syria, the city of Kobani, once home to more than 50,000 people – most of them Kurds – is about to fall to the forces of the so-called Islamic State, better known as ISIS or ISIL. Kurdish militias – men and women – have held off the savage jihadists for weeks now despite being outnumbered and outgunned. In the last few days U.S. airstrikes have slowed the ISIS advances, but not enough. ISIS has taken more than half the town, including major government buildings.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 10, 2014

Kobani's fall would be symbolic setback for Obama Syria strategy -- Phil Stewart and Arshad Mohammed, Reuters

Syria doesn’t matter to the United States: The anti-ISIS coalition has one goal: save Iraq -- Michael Weiss, NOW

Why Syria’s disaster threatens a war in Turkey -- Hugh Pope, The Guardian

Erdogan’s Double Game: Our “ally” Turkey supports jihadists while joining the U.S.-led coalition against them. -- Charles Krauthammer, NRO


Iraq’s Limited Air Power Constrains Ability to Fight Islamic State -- WPR

Israel’s Critics and the Next Election -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

Kim Jong Un: Erased? -- Gordon G. Chnag, Daily Beast

Is Kim Jong-un’s sister now the power behind the North Korean throne? -- Enjoli Liston, The Guardian

From 'Looking' East to 'Acting' East: India’s Own Pivot to Asia -- Michael Kugelman & Raymond E. Vickery Jr., The Diplomat

The Chinese economy has everyone worried—except the Chinese -- Matt Phillips, Quartz

Want to Secede? Follow the Flemish -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

The Apparent Massacre of Dozens of Students Exposes the Corruption at the Heart of Mexico -- Ioan Grillio, Time

The Fear of Greater Chaos -- Robert Kaplan, Real Clear World/Stratfor

The problem with America’s limited wars -- David Ignatius, Washington Post

In Europe and Africa, steps to curb Ebola range from isolation to a 'police state' -- Kenneth Kaplan, CSM