Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 22, 2016

BBC

Nicholas Blanford, CSM: Assad's move: After Aleppo, could Idlib be next?

The war in Syria is far from over, and the anti-Assad rebels have vowed to fight on. Many are congregated in Idlib province. But before the Syrian president elects to go after them, he has other options to consider.

The restoration of Aleppo, Syria’s second city, to state control has given President Bashar al-Assad his greatest victory in nearly six years of bitter civil war and left rebel forces reeling and mulling their next steps.

Still, the war that has ravaged the country, left more than 300,000 people dead, and sparked the largest refugee crisis since World War II is far from over. Across Syria, rebel groups and militants of all stripes still hold territory and appear determined to continue their struggle to unseat Mr. Assad and his regime.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 22, 2016

U.S. Arms Wielded by Terrorists: The Lebanon Crisis Awaiting Trump -- Tobin Harshaw, Bloomberg

Can Donald Trump defeat jihad? -- Aaron David Miller, CNN

Japan's change in military outlook marks the end of a 'peace state' -- Ra Mason, UPI

China Begins Construction of Polar Icebreaker -- Franz-Stefan Gady, The Diplomat

Evoking Kissinger on China and North Korea -- Joseph A. Bosco, RCD

Is Trump serious about trade war with China? -- Karishma Vaswani, BBC

US-China trade dispute – 'Stakes higher for Beijing' -- Thomas Kohlmann, DW

Modi Faces Backlash After Cash Crackdown -- American Interest

Why I Still Don't Buy the Russian Hacking Story -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

9 questions about Russia you were too embarrassed to ask -- Matthew Yglesia, VOX

Are the Kremlin’s LPR and DPR About to Unite or Fight Each Other? -- Paul Goble, Jamestown

Does Trump Know What’s at Stake in Ukraine? Putin Does -- John McLaughlin, Ozy

Berlin Truck Attacker Was No Lone Wolf, German Authorities Say -- Michael Weiss and Katie Zavadski, Daily Beast

Violence in Mexico Surges -- Kaitlin Lavinder, Cipher Brief

Will Guantanamo Bay's Prison Ever Close? -- Priscilla Alvarez, The Atlantic