Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 4, 2015

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the National People’s Congress in Algiers, June 4, 2013. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi

Blaise Miszta, Reuters: The U.S. picked the wrong ally in the fight against Islamic State

When Turkey finally agreed to join U.S.-led efforts to fight Islamic State, Ankara was supposed to make the battle against the extremist group more effective. Yet within days, Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, bombed not just Islamic State forces but also, with even greater fervor, the one group showing some success in keeping them at bay: the Kurds.

The United States miscalculated by bringing in Erdogan. Turkey’s embattled and volatile leader looks far less interested in combating Islamic State than in reclaiming his power at home. Erdogan’s personal agenda, however, cannot be allowed to alienate U.S. partners and prolong the conflict.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 4, 2015

Erdogan's Cynical Game: Is Turkey Creeping Toward Civil War? -- Maximilian Popp and Christoph Reuter, Spiegel Online

Turkey Goes to War -- David Kenner, Foreign Policy

These 5 Stats Explain Turkey’s War on ISIS — and the Kurds -- Ian Bremmer, Time

The Dreadful Saviors: Feared Shiite Militias Battle Islamic State in Iraq -- Christoph Reuter, Spiegel Online

The Taking of Raqqa: One man's story of how his hometown fell to ISIS -- Megan Specia, Mashable

Does the U.S. Know Why It’s Bombing ISIS? -- Thomas Seibert, Daily Beast

How Obama Goes to War (Syria Version) -- Micah Zenko, Council on Foreign Relations

John Kerry's tough sell to Gulf foreign ministers -- Inside Story/Al Jazeera

What a Taliban in disarray could mean for Afghanistan and Pakistan -- Washington Post editorial

Taliban tussle over Mullah Omar: Is a succession crisis brewing? -- Ariel Zirulnick, CSM

Island building in disputed sea? China doesn't want to talk about it -- Jonathan Kaiman, L.A. Times

Why is Kim Jong-un receiving a peace prize? -- Denise Hassanzade Ajiri, CSM

Pakistan's Shocking Strategic Shift -- Sameer Lalwani, National Interest

Argentina: Great Economists, Awful Economy -- Noah Smith, Bloomberg

Can Canada’s Conservatives continue their winning streak? -- The Economist