Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 1, 2017

Sean Illing, VOX: America’s former envoy to Afghanistan says the war can’t be won

Trump is right to be careful about doubling down on America’s longest war.

Trump’s national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, wants to send a few thousand more troops to the country, which currently has 8,400 American forces largely engaged in training and advising activities. The nonmilitary wing of his national security team, led by chief strategist Steve Bannon, is resisting McMaster’s plan, viewing it as a continuation of a failed approach that has cost the US more than 2,000 soldiers dead and over a trillion dollars.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- August 1, 2017

North Korea’s new ICBMs change little about threat to the US -- Robert McCoy, Asia Times

Give Up on Denuclearizing North Korea -- Jon Wolfsthal, Defense One The Atlantic

After North Korean Missile Test, South Korean President Takes a Stance -- Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, FPRI

ICBM tests force South Korea to get tough on North -- Julian Ryall, DW

Japan’s security: bigger problems than a defense minister -- Grant Newsham, Asia Times

Freedom and Fear: India and Pakistan at 70 -- Pippa Virdee, The Diplomat

Chinese history tells us: Never stop fighting till the fight is done -- Minxin Pei, Nikkei Asian Review

To Counter Russia, Strengthen China -- Oleg Svet, RCD

Putin’s shock therapy may help Trump bury the Russia story -- M.K. Bhadrakumar, Asia Times

Vladimir Putin to America: You've Let Me Down -- Julia Ioffe, The Atlantic

Sending 'Defensive' Arms to Ukraine Would Be Deadly -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

What will happen to Raqqa after ISIL? -- Mariya Petkova, Al Jazeera

Trump’s plan for Mideast peace fades -- Ben Caspit, Al-Monitor

Venezuela Abandons Any Claim to Democracy -- Bloomberg editorial

Corporate America's nightmare run in Venezuela -- Patrick Gillespie, CNN

How to Know If John Kelly Is Really in Charge -- Jonathan Bernstein, Bloomberg