Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 30, 2016

Ibrahim al-Marashi, Al Jazeera: Palmyra is a major turning point in Syria's Civil War

The fall of Palmyra marks a big win in the Syrian state's fight against ISIL.

Bashar al-Assad had said for years to both Syrians and the international community that only his regime could prevent the spectre of ISIL taking over Syria.

For the first time he has acted to deal with this threat. Damascus finally invested in amassing enough military forces to defeat ISIL in a battle for territory. Also, even with the withdrawal of Russian forces from the war, Moscow's residual airpower in Syria can still sustain the Assad regime's momentum on the battlefield.

The Syrian state's recent victory against ISIL in Palmyra represents a major shift not only in the war against ISIL, but also in the trajectory of the nation's five-year civil war.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 30, 2016

How America is bombing itself in Syria -- Bonnie Kristian, The Week

Why is David Cameron so silent on the recapture of Palmyra from the clutches of Isis? -- Robert Fisk, The Independent

On the American Front Line Against ISIS -- Robin Wright, New Yorker

Let’s Not Give Suicide Bombers So Much Credit—Sometimes They Have No Strategy -- Simon Cottee, Defense One/The Atlantic

The Three Dynamics of the Fight Against ISIS -- Michael Morell, Cipher Brief

How the West bought Iraq -- The Age

Why PKK shifted to urban warfare -- Mahmut Bozarslan, Al Monitor

How Washington Got Turkey's Dictator So Wrong -- Eli Lake & Josh Rogin, Bloomberg

NATO Must Demand More From Turkey -- Halil M. Karaveli, NYT

Europe’s Muslims hate the West -- Leon De Winter, Politico

Is Belgium’s nuclear security up to scratch? -- Robert J Downes and Daniel Salisbury, The Conversation

Russian Military Moves Risk Japanese Peace Talks And Energy Ties -- Jeremy Maxie, Forbes

Is Thailand on its way back to democracy? -- Inside Story/Al Jazeera

Colombia’s Slow March Toward Peace -- J. Weston Phippen, The Atlantic

Is That All There Is? Obama’s Disappointing Nuclear Legacy -- Joe Cirincione, Defense One