Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 20, 2017

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: U.S. Tried and Failed to Stave Off Iraq's Advance on the Kurds

An American diplomat pleaded for more time to broker a compromise.

The U.S. nearly brokered a deal last weekend to avert the current crisis over the disputed city of Kirkuk, where Iraqi forces and some Iranian-supported militias displaced Kurdish fighters this week.

It has been widely reported that Iraqi Security Forces entered Kirkuk and a nearby military base and oil fields because of a deal made by the relatives of the late Jalal Talabani, the former Iraqi president and Kurdish revolutionary who died this month. That deal, forged by Talabani's widow, Hero, and others in her family with the head of Iran's Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, has uprooted the unity Kurds have enjoyed since the 2003 war to liberate Iraq. The Kurdistan Regional Government president, Massoud Barzani, has called Hero a traitor, while Kurds loyal to Talabani have accused Barzani of bringing another calamity upon their people.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 20, 2017

How a shocking reversal of fortunes unfolded in Kirkuk -- John Beck, Al Jazeera

'UAE on the verge of splitting Yemen in two' -- Faisal Edroos, Al Jazeera

Iran's Very Good Week -- Caroline Glick, Jerusalem Post

As Islamic State falls, has US missed bigger picture? -- AFP

Fatal blows to Islamic State in the Philippines -- Richard Javad Heydarian, Asia Times

When ‘The Donald’ meets ‘Duterte Harry’ -- William Pesek, Asia Times

Sieren's China: No point in resisting Xi Jinping -- Frank Sieren, DW

China's Xi Jinping consolidates power with new ideology -- BBC

In China, a New Political Era Begins -- Matthew Massee, Geopolitical Futures

China's Toughest Job? Whoever takes the helm at China's central bank, the job is fraught with risks. -- Christopher Balding, Bloomberg

China’s communist party congress stirs echoes of South Africa -- Grant Newsham, Asia Times

Middle Europe turns its back on the EU -- John Lloyd, Reuters

Will the UN Security Council ever be reformed? -- Srinivas Mazumdaru, DW

Uganda: Is it still Africa's bread-basket? -- Sella Oneko, DW

Putin Spins a Tale of Russian Humiliation -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg