Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 17, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson (L) speaks as South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se looks on during a news conference in Seoul, South Korea March 17, 2017. REUTERS/JUNG Yeon-Je

Patrick Smith, Fiscal Times: Tillerson’s Asia Trip Could Signal the End US Soft Diplomacy

It was clear as soon as Rex Tillerson arrived in Tokyo late Wednesday that the new secretary of state’s first trip to Asia could turn out to be a mission impossible. In a six-day tour of three nations, the unproven diplomat is tasked with persuading Japan, South Korea, and China to support a tough, military-first strategy to counter North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programs.

Unless Tillerson has a lot of rabbits in his hat, it can’t be done. All three nations have made their preference for new negotiations with the North Korean regime clear.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 17, 2017

Israel’s Next Big War -- Yossi Alpher, Forward

In backing Syria's Assad, Russia looks to outdo Iran -- AFP

Saudi Arabia's Future Meets the Trump Administration -- Simon Henderson, Washington Institute

Tillerson is threatening North Korea, but here's his real target -- Jake Nolan, CNBC

North Korea’s Nukes -- Bloomberg

China Raising Pressure on Taiwan, Gently -- Ralph Jennings, VOA

Rather than talk to Taiwan, China sends in the spies -- Chris Horton, Quartz

What went wrong in Pakistan -- Clifford D. May, Washington Times

Indonesia: 8,000 Islands in a Sea of Trouble? -- James Durso, RCW

'London Bridge is down': the secret plan for the days after the Queen’s death -- Sam Knight, The Guardian

Why Russia won’t cut a deal with the U.S. on Crimea -- Igor Kryuchkov, Gazeta.ru/RBTH

It's a Lonelier World for Vladimir Putin -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

8 Lessons From the Dutch Election -- Kevin Lees, Suffragio

Can Americans Trust Their Spies? -- Peter Hoekstra, WSJ

The biggest risk to the Fed and European Central Bank -- Paul Wallace, Reuters

War in space is becoming a real threat -- David Ignatius, Washington Post