Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 25, 2015

Inside Story/Al Jazeera: The fight for Ramadi: A turning point against ISIL?

Iraqi forces continue their offensive to take back key city in Anbar Province.

For months, the Iraqi government has promised a major offensive to retake cities held by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group.

And in the last week it has begun to deliver on that pledge by moving to win back the city of Ramadi.

As the capital of Iraq's Anbar province, Ramadi lies in the heartland of the country's Sunni population.

It is less than 100km west of Baghdad.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 25, 2015

ISIS Is Still Winning Hearts And Minds In Iraq -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, Vocativ

“If they don’t like someone, they just behead him”: why ISIS fighters quit -- Zack Beauchamp, VOX

Should US Accept Greater Risk of Civilian Casualties in IS Fight? -- Jeff Seldin, VOA

Good News From Syria’s War: It Hasn’t Sparked Neighboring Conflicts (Yet) -- Aaron David Miller, WSJ

Syria: New Faces in an Old Conflict: Analysis -- Stratfor

Why Bombing Syria Is Right Decision, But Not Enough – Analysis -- Eurasia Review

Confusion, corruption among Afghan forces hit Helmand defense -- Hamid Shalizi, Reuters

Peace in Libya or More Chaos? -- Jamie Dettmer, VOA

South Africa Closes Out Rocky Political Year -- Anita Powell, VOA

Putin's Pivot: Out of Ukraine, Into Syria -- Matthew Bodner, Moscow Times

Is war imminent in the Caucasus? -- Richard Giragosian, Al Jazeera

Turkish Media Fears Russian-Armenian Air Defense Could 'Heat Up Caucasus' -- Sputnik

Putin plots to make Ukraine a failed state -- Ihor Kozak, Newsweek

At Greece’s Borders, a Test for Europe -- Nikos Konstandaras, NYT

The State of Obama’s World: Why the president’s foreign policy legacy is hanging in the balance. -- Fred Kaplan, Slate

Plunging oil prices shake up global economy, politics -- Steven Mufson, NOLA/Washington Post

Russia's Christmas celebrations are yet to come -- Damien Sharkov, Newsweek

The Weirdest Christmas Traditions in the World -- Carole Cusack, New Republic