Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 9, 2016

Anna Fifield, Washington Post: At four-day congress, North Korean leader proves his strength

PYONGYANG, North Korea — A triumphant Kim Jong Un was crowned chairman of North Korea’s Workers’ Party on Monday, the climax of a once-in-a-generation congress during which the young leader showed how, despite the odds, he had consolidated his power.

Although he did not announce anything particularly new during the four-day meeting — espousing his usual lines about pursuing economic growth at the same time as nuclear weapons — Kim presented himself as every inch the strong leader.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 9, 2016

Dealing With the North Korean Nuclear Threat -- John Carlson, Lowy Institute

Aleppo like Grozny, Syria unlike Chechnya -- Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera

Fighting 'Islamic State' keeps Iraqi rivals in check - for now -- Florian Neuhof, DW

U.S. Struggles to Convince Iraqis it Doesn't Support ISIS -- Sinan Salaheddin & Susannah George, AP

Saudia Arabia and Iran: The Cold War of Islam -- Susanne Koelbl, Samiha Shafy and Bernhard Zand, Spiegel Online

Suu Kyi Kicks the Rohingya -- Walter Russel Mead, The American Interest

This Vietnamese Base Will Decide the South China Sea's Fate -- Yevgen Sautin, National Interest

The Pentagon Is Endangering Our Economic Ties With China -- Patrick Smith, Fiscal Times

Catalan exit plan: In the past, moderates have dominated Barcelona’s testy relations with Madrid. This time, it could escalate. -- Stephen Brown and Hans Von Der Burchard, Politico

How to avert a real U.S.-Russia crisis -- Harlan Ullman, UPI

What Makes Boko Haram Run? -- John Campbell and Ralph Bunche, Council On Foreign Relations

Why Rousseff’s impeachment battle is bad for Brazil – but could be good for democracy -- Gretchen Helmke, Reuters

There’s not much love for Brazil’s president, but maybe less for her impeachment -- Dom Phillips and Nick Miroff, Washington Post

Lining Up for Change in Venezuela -- New York Times editorial

'People are tired of 70 years of killings and violence': Colombia's peace process -- Clár Ní Chonghaile, The Guardian

The Real Reason Africa’s Elephants Are Dying -- Amy Yee, Foreign Policy