Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 15, 2017

Eli Lake, Bloomberg: A Half-Hearted Coup, Extending Zimbabwe's Reign of Terror

Leadership is likely to fall to the corrupt first lady or the president's vicious deputy.

If there were justice in Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe would be removed from power by a free and fair election. The promise of the independence struggle Mugabe led 40 years ago could finally be fulfilled. The country he ruined could begin the long process of recovery.

Zimbabwe is a basket case of a nation, but its ruling regime does have an opposition, and it has had elections. In 2009, Zimbabweans came close to a decent end to their national nightmare when Mugabe agreed to share power with opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, the man who likely won the election in 2008. And for a period it worked. But then in 2013, Mugabe stole the election again. Tsvangirai left the government, Mugabe accused him of treason, and Zimbabwe continued to spiral.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 15, 2017

To understand the coup in Zimbabwe, you need to know more about Grace Mugabe -- Chipo Dendere, Washington Post

Zimbabwe's Coup Is Nothing to Celebrate -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Who’s in charge in Zimbabwe? Here are the leading players -- AP

Robert Mugabe's most famous quotes -- Al Jazeera

The Future of Kenya's Democracy Is Hanging in the Balance -- Neha Wadekar, The Atlantic

A look at deposed African leaders and where they are now -- Carley Petesch, AP

The Israeli-Saudi alliance beating the drums of war -- Richard Silverstein, Middle East Eye

Should the West Use Covert Warfare Against Iran? -- James M. Dorsey, Algemeiner

Bahrain Pipeline Explosion Seen as a Warning from Iran -- Simon Henderson, RCW

Trump's Middle East peace initiative still on hold -- Ben Caspit, Al-Monitor

Why Russia Is Back in Afghanistan -- David Lewis, RCD

Analysis: Progress by China envoy in N. Korea won’t be easy -- Eric Talmadge, AP

Has Xi Jinping Become “Emperor for Life”? -- Willy Wo-Lap Lam, China Brief

Beijing-Seoul reset doesn’t have to hurt US-South Korea ties -- Doug Tsuruoka, Asia Times

Canada’s peacekeeping incoherence -- Richard Shimooka and Don Macnamara, The Globe and Mail