Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 23, 2017

Dawood Azami, BBC: Why Sangin's fall to the Taliban matters

The Taliban's capture of the strategically-located Sangin, once considered the deadliest battlefield for US and British troops in Afghanistan, will increase the group's mobility in the north of the province and give it control of an important supply line with the provincial capital Lashkar Gah

The Taliban has already captured a few of the 14 districts of Helmand, which borders Pakistan. According to some estimates, the insurgent group now controls more than half of the province, which produces the bulk of Afghanistan's lucrative opium crop.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 23, 2017

Against the Islamic State, the U.S. Focuses on the Battle, Not the War -- Stratfor

After ISIS: For Iraqis, reconciliation in Mosul will be challenging, and vital -- Scott Peterson, CSM

A year after Brussels attacks, many questions linger -- DW

Japan Has Ambitious Plans To Be Asia's Next Superpower, Thanks To China -- Ralph Jennings, Forbes

How to describe American military options in North Korea? Bad and worse. -- Peter Apps, Reuters

Trump’s pivot to North Korea -- Clifford D. May, Washington Times

Murder, Missiles, and Messages From North Korea -- Bruce Bennett, RCD

Misreading Tillerson -- Leon V. Sigal, 38 North

Russia, an Alleged Coup and Montenegro's NATO Bid -- Vesko Garcevic, RCW

A Franco-German bargain to save Europe -- Philip Stephens, Financial Tiems

What Martin McGuinness’s eulogisers would like to forget: The IRA commander never showed any remorse for the suffering he caused -- Jenny McCartney, The Spectator

Russian Defector's Murder Sends a Chilling Message -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

If Trump Kills NAFTA, "Modern Mexico" May End Up Dead Too -- Luis Rubio, World Crunch

What Trump Can Do for Venezuela -- Bloomberg editorial

Can President Trump Handle the Truth? -- Michael Scherer, Time