Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 18, 2017

A member of Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service holds an Islamic State militant flag as he celebrates in the Old City of Mosul, Iraq July 9, 2017.

Mehdi Jedinia, VOA: Analysts: Tehran Sees Liberation of Mosul as Victory for Iraq and Iran

WASHINGTON — A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader has described Iraq’s liberation of Mosul from Islamic State (IS) as a victory for Tehran.

Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, told reporters, “Liberation of the Iraqi city of Mosul from the hands of IS marks a triumph for Iran as well as for Iraq.”

Majid Rafizadeh, a political scientist at Harvard University, said the victory by Iraqi forces “helped Tehran tip the regional balance of power against its Sunni-dominated rivals such as Saudi Arabia.”

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 18, 2017

Syrian Cease-Fire Is a Baby Step Toward Peace -- Bloomberg editorial

Death of a Jihadi Dream: The Battle of Mosul -- Robert T. Souza & Brian Glyn Williams, RCD

Terror at the Temple Mount Puts the Lie to Palestinian Rage -- Eli Lake, Bloomberg

Doomsday averted on the Temple Mount, for now -- Ben Caspit, Al-Monitor

The Gulf Crisis Might Be Based on a Hoax -- Joshua Keating, Slate

Southeast Asia Braces for the Post-Islamic State Era -- Bilveer Singh, The Diplomat

Why Isn’t Russia Worried About Kim Jong Un’s Nukes? -- Chris Miller, Foreign Policy

The Korean War 1950–53: Still Settling the Score -- Ron Huisken, The Strategist

India-China standoff? All about Bhutan -- M.K. Bhadrakumar, Asia Times

Options for a Future Strategy for the Afghan Taliban -- Paul Butchard, RCD

Straight Out of the Russian Intelligence Playbook -- Danielle Hoffman, The Cipher Brief

Put a European General in Charge of NATO -- Ramon Marks, RCD

What's Behind Putin's Hate for the Magnitsky Act? -- Cindy Saine, VOA

Seven is the number that explains why Congressional Republicans won’t turn on Trump -- Paul Waldman, Reuters

Fighting Back: U.S. Options for Cyberattacks -- Adam Petno, RCD/Atlantic Council