Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 21, 2015

Russia's President Vladimir Putin and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attend a welcoming ceremony onboard guided missile cruiser Moskva at the Black Sea port of Sochi, August 12, 2014. ALEXEI DRUZHININ / REUTERS

Dmitry Adamsky, Foreign Affairs: Putin's Damascus Steal

How Russia Got Ahead in the Middle East

is year, Moscow is celebrating the 45th anniversary of Operation Kavkaz, the Soviet military intervention on behalf of Egypt in the 1969–70 Israeli-Egyptian War of Attrition. The engagement was a key moment in the history of the Cold War. It caught Western intelligence by surprise, and it was the first—and only—time the Soviet military fought the Israeli Defense Forces. Operation Kavkaz saved Russia’s closest ally from regime change and protected Moscow’s strategic assets on Egyptian soil. The Soviet Union’s subsequent activism in the region marked the height of Moscow’s Cold War achievements in the Middle East.

Once more, the Kremlin is increasingly assertive in the Middle East, and once more, it has surprised the West. Emboldened by its perceived success in addressing regional challenges and capitalizing on opportunities, it has gotten closer than ever to its key diplomatic objective: acquiring a regional status on par with Washington’s.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 21, 2015

When Vladimir Putin looks in the mirror, does he see Syria’s Assad? -- Peter Apps, Reuters

Analysis: Russia in Syria, threats and opportunities for Israel -- Ron Ben-Yishai, i24

Why Iran, Saudi Arabia keep locking horns on Syria -- Ellie Geranmayeh, Al-Monitor

Who is the 'Great Satan'? In a recent speech, Ayatollah Khamenei used metaphors to describe US influence. -- Hamid Dabashi, Al Jazeera

Relatively Few Muslims Have Made The Journey To Mecca [Infographic] -- Niall McCarthy, Forbes

Can Burkina Faso — Africa’s most coup-prone state — become a stable democracy? -- Molly Ariotti and Naunihal Singh, Washington Post

India and the Syrian Civil War -- Kabir Taneja, The Diplomat

Curbing Chinese corruption -- Paolo Mauro, Al Jazeera

Xi Visit Marks Downturn in U.S.-China Relations -- Josh Rogin, Bloomberg

When Xi Meets Obama -- Minxin Pei, Project Syndicate

The Limits of a US-China Cyber Deal -- Shannon Tiezzi, The Diplomat

A Loyal Governor Feels Putin's Wrath -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Special Report: Commercial ships scoop up desperate human cargo -- Jonathan Saul, Reuters

Germany's work-hungry refugees and empty jobs: Why the disconnect? -- Howard LaFranchi, CSM

Poland: Seal EU borders -- Grzegorz Schetyna, Politico

Battered Greece and Its Refugee Lesson -- Roger Cohen, NYT

It’s all up to Tsipras now -- Hugo Dixon, Reuters

How Pope Francis can win back the West and secure his church’s future -- Patrick Hornbeck, Reuters