Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 18, 2016

A man at a site recently hit by what activists said was a Scud missile in Aleppo’s Ard al-Hamra neighborhood, February 23, 2013. REUTERS/Muzaffar Salman

Doyle McNamus, L.A. Times: What happens next in Syria?

U.S.-backed agreement on a “cessation of hostilities” in Syria is supposed to take effect at the end of this week, but there's been no sign of hostilities slowing — let alone ceasing.

Instead, Russia's air force, Bashar Assad's ground forces and even neighboring Turkey have all escalated attacks on the rebels whose five-year-long uprising against Assad is faltering. In northern Syria, missiles and bombs have hit two hospitals in the past week. With Russia's help, Assad's forces have nearly surrounded Aleppo, Syria's largest city and the rebels' most important base. Meanwhile, Turkey has been shelling Kurdish rebel forces that are allied with the United States.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 18, 2016

How will Turkey respond to Wednesday's Ankara bombing? -- Ben Thompson, CSM

Ankara bombing: blaming Kurds suits Erdoğan's political ends -- Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

Erdogan must drop personal ambition and ease tensions with Turkey’s Kurds -- Ranj Alaaldin, The Guardian

A look at Turkey’s friends and foes in the Syria conflict -- AP

When Will the Lebanese Presidential Merry-Go-Round Stop Spinning? -- Vanessa Newby, Lowy Institute

Is North Korea Preparing for a Fifth Nuclear Test? -- 38 North

China’s Missile Provocation -- New York Times editorial

Exclusive: U.N. Refugee Camp In South Sudan Burned To The Ground -- Justin Lynch, Daily Beast

Ukraine Resists Its Own Revolution -- Marc Champion, Bloomberg

The West Is Repeating the Mistakes of the 1930s -- Victor Davis Hanson, NRO

Can the Welfare State Survive the Refugee Crisis? -- Heather Horn, The Atlantic

Tough road for Venezuela after dire data, lacking measures -- Alexandra Ulmer and Girish Gupta, Reuters

The Cuban Immigration Exception -- J. Weston Phippen, The Atlantic

Did Saudi Arabia play a role in September 11? Here's what we know -- Max Fisher, VOX

Profit or patriotism? What's driving fight between US, Apple -- AP

Yes, the feds can hack your iPhone. No, it isn’t easy. -- Matthew Gault, Reuters