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

People leave Turkey's largest airport, Istanbul Ataturk, Turkey, following a blast June 28, 2016. REUTERS/OSMAN ORSAL

Peter Van Buren, Reuters: Washington still gets it wrong on Islamic State

Tuesday’s attacks at Istanbul’s main airport, which appear at this time to be the work of Islamic State, are the latest reminder that the United States should not downplay the group’s rudimentary – yet effective – tactics.

Since the wave of Islamic State suicide bombings in May – killing 522 people inside Baghdad, and 148 people inside Syria – American officials have downplayed the strategy as defensive. Brett McGurk, the Special Presidential Envoy in the fight against Islamic State, said the group "returned to suicide bombing" as the area under its control shrank. The American strategy of focusing primarily on the “big picture” recapture of territory seems to push the suicide bombings to the side. “It’s their last card,” stated an Iraqi spokesperson in response to the attacks.

The reality is just the opposite.

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

ISIS just passed a major milestone, but the group looks a lot different than it did 2 years ago -- Pamela Engel, Business Insider

Living With the Islamic State -- Stratfor

Islamic State And The Threat Of WMDs -- David Patrikarakos (RFE)

Why Turkey's foreign policy changes won't bring stability -- Fadi Hakura, CNN

Islamic State group: Why is it attacking Turkey? -- Mark Lowen, BBC

Why Istanbul residents blame Erdogan, not ISIS, for instability -- CSM

Turkey paying for 'mistakes' in IS strategy: analysts -- Burak Akinci, AFP

Saudi Arabia: Framed for 9/11, Guilty of Fueling Hate -- Eli Lake, Bloomberg

Russia will countenance an Assad exit in Syria, but not yet -- Andrew Osborn and Christian Lowe, Reuters

The Now and Future US-Philippines Military Alliance -- Eleanor Albert, Defense One

Yards From War, Miles From Peace -- Paul D. Shinkman, US News and World Report

How to avoid Brexit -- The Economist

UK leaders scramble to stop Brexit being Brexit after all - John Lloyd, Reuters

Can outsiders help Venezuela in the midst of crisis, again? -- Jennifer Lynn McCoy, The Conversation

5 Attitude Adjustments America's Foreign-Policy Leaders Need Now -- Daniel L. Davis, National Interest