Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 2, 2016

ALAA AL-MARJANI/REUTERS

Nancy A. Youssef, Daily Beast: U.S. Looks to Beat ISIS Before Obama’s Out

There are only a few months left in the Obama presidency. Which means the pressure is on to score a major win against ISIS before he leaves the White House.

To hear members of the national security community tell it, ISIS is about to lose its grip on its Iraqi capital.

In the last 10 days alone, the two U.S. generals leading the war effort have promised that the city of Mosul will be out of ISIS hands soon. Telegraphing the military’s next move usually is considered strategically daft, but American commanders now are spelling out the dates of their operation within weeks.

Meanwhile, those with a political bent are pushing for the U.S.-led coalition and the Iraqi forces to move into Mosul before the end of the Obama administration term so it can end on the cusp of a major battlefield win, one U.S. official told The Daily Beast.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 2, 2016

Destroying ISIS in Iraq requires ditching Iranian influence -- Pete Hegseth, The Hill

Obama Let Iran Cheat on the Deal -- Jonathan Tolbin. Commentary

Uzbekistan’s Presidential Transition -- Foreign Brief

The Taliban and the Divided Afghan State -- Kamran Bokhari, Geopolitical Futures

A Nuclear-Armed South Korea? -- Peter Huessy, Daily Caller

Inside One of Afghanistan’s Largest Hospitals -- Rachel Lowry, Time

Even on the Eve of the G20, China Just Can’t Stop Being a Bully -- Gordon G. Chnag, Daily Beast

One Result Of China's Buildup In South China Sea: Environmental Havoc -- Jackie Northam, NPR

Has Pakistan's Zarb-e-Azb military operation failed? -- Shamil Shams, DW

Gabon's Stolen Election Brings the Country to Crisis Point -- Maja Bovcon, Newsweek

Obama Makes the First U.S. Presidential Visit to Laos: Part 1 -- Joshua Kurlantzick, Council on Foreign Relations

Venezuela's Military: Both a Stabilizing and Destabilizing Force -- Kaitlin Lavinder, The Cipger Brief

Apple and the need for an EU-US reboot -- Politico

Why the Apple case could lead to Irexit -- Harry Readhead, Metro

Taking Trump Seriously About NATO -- Jacek Rostowski, Project Syndicate