Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 27, 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov address reporters at the United Nations Security Council in New York City on September 30, 2015. State Department photo/ Public Domain​

Antoun Issa, National Interest: Why Syria's Cease-Fires Keep Collapsing

Russia and the U.S. are pursuing their own interests, not Syria’s.

The collapse of the latest Syrian cease-fire is no surprise. Indeed, most observers had been pessimistic about the deal holding before it came into effect on September 12. Following the pattern of previous failed attempts to implement a cease-fire, the first week witnessed accusations and counter-accusations of violations from all sides, before eventually falling apart. The Russians and Americans were already accusing the other of failing to respect the deal before the deadly U.S.-led strike on Syrian government forces on September 17—Washington said it was an accident, while the Russians aren’t buying it. By the next Monday morning, Russia’s defense ministry said it was “senseless” for the Syrian government to continue observing the cease-fire, which led to the regime announcing the end of the cease-fire later that day. The attack on the aid convoy that Monday night—U.S. officials accuse Russia of being behind the strike—delivered the death blow to the deal, since aid delivery to rebel-held areas was a U.S. condition of the agreement.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 27, 2016

Syria: Denial as a war strategy -- Sharif Nashashibi, Al Jazeera

Syria: 'Weighing the military options' -- Christoph Hasselbach, DW

Talking to Russia Cannot Save Syria -- Frederic Hof, The Atlantic

One Year On: What Russia Achieved in Syria in 12 Months -- Sputnik

Will next US president shift Washington's Yemen policy? -- Giorgio Cafiero, Al-Monitor

Erdoğan Is Destroying Turkey’s Hopes for Democracy -- Hilton L. Root, Fiscal Times

The Timbuktu destruction trial was groundbreaking -- Stefan Dege, DW

As Libya descends into terrorist chaos, Clinton stands by her war -- Timothy P. carney, Washington Examiner

Could the U.N. Survive a Trump Presidency Intact? -- Richard Gowan, WPR

Why the Bosnian Serb Referendum Really Matters -- Jacob L. Shapiro, Geopolitical Futures

Marine Le Pen’s cash-flow crisis -- Nicholas Vinocur, Politico

Peace at Last: The Deal That Ends Colombia's Long Conflict -- J. Weston Phippen, The Atlantic

Why Colombia's opposition party will vote 'no' to the FARC peace deal -- David Iaconangelo, CSM

Mexico Can’t Stop Lying About a Massacre -- Andrea Noel, Daily Beast

Don’t Breathe, Even Air Is Killing Us Now -- VICE