Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 22, 2017

Jamie Dettmer, VOA: Mosul: What's Next?

The battle for Mosul has been bloody and slow — for Iraqi soldiers and civilians alike.

Since Iraqi forces launched an assault to retake the city, Islamic State’s last major urban stronghold in the country, last October, Iraqi troops have had to endure rockets and mortars, suicide-bombings and sniper fire, as well as unconventional small drone attacks.

With Iraqi forces now focused on the western half of the city after a months-long slog to secure east Mosul, questions about what will happen to the city after IS fighters have finally been ousted are becoming more urgent.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 22, 2017

A Fiercer Fight to Come in Mosul: Analysis -- Stratfor

Mosul: Winning the Battle and the War -- General Jack Keane, Cipher Brief

U.S. Troops Don't Belong In Syria: America Should Stay Out Of Another Middle Eastern Ground War -- Doug Bandow, Forbes

Syria peace talks: is there any hope for an end to six years of war? -- Patrick Wintour, The Guardian

Groundhog day in Geneva: old questions haunt Syria talks -- Tom Miles and John Irish, Reuters

How America Can Avoid a War with China -- Joe Renouard, National Interest

China’s Weapons of Trade War -- Keyu Jin, Project Syndicate

NATO, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe -- George Friedman, Geopolitical Futures

Markets Are Right to Take a Le Pen Presidency Seriously -- Mark Gilbert, Bloomberg

The Dutch Election Is About More Than Nationalism -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Trump’s China challenge -- Brahma Chellaney, The Strategist

Trump and Russia: Confusion at the Top -- John E. Herbst, American Interest

Trump Is Beating the Media at Its Own Game -- George Neumay, Spectator

How McMaster Could Change the Way the US Goes to War -- Patrick Tucker, Defense One

Fighting Irregular Wars Well -- C. Anthony Pfaff, The Strategy Page