Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 16, 2018

Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner: Why another chemical attack is coming soon from Putin and Assad

According to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the U.S., British and French air strikes which targeted Syria on Saturday are a "one time thing."

That is, unless Syrian President Bashar Assad decides to employ chemical weapons once again.

I believe Assad will do so. At that point, the Trump administration will have a tough decision to make.

First off, while it's unsurprising that Russia has avoided retaliating in response to Saturday's attack, President Vladimir Putin will want to test the West's resolve in dealing with this crisis. After all, while Trump, Britain, and France are slapping themselves on the back for taking this action, the action was distinctly limited in its intent and effect.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- April 16, 2018

5 takeaways on Donald Trump's Syria attack: The best choice in a land of lousy options -- Aaron David Miller and Richard Sokolsky, USA Today

What is the West's end game in Syria? -- Farah Najjar, Al Jazeera

Western airstrikes unlikely to impact Assad’s war machine -- Zeina Karam, Defense News/Associated Press  

Why Germany Didn't Join the Syria Strikes -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Saudi leadership offers Israel a chance -- Uri Savir, Al-Monitor

Emptiness of US rhetoric has been exposed by China bringing Vietnam to heel -- Ankit Panda, SCMP

Keeping Up with China's PLAN -- Robert Ross, National Interest

China’s Strategy in Djibouti: Mixing Commercial and Military Interests -- Council on Foreign Relations

Why China’s US trade stand-off is not a replay of Japan’s in the 1980s -- Wendy Wu, SCMP

Afghanistan: Endless War? -- Council on Foreign Relations

How Economic Growth Can Help Defeat Terrorism in Afghanistan -- The Diplomat

What North Korea’s 2017 budget report and 2018 projections tell us about its economy -- Benjamin Katzeff Silberstein, 38 North

Abe’s meeting with Trump may be his last as criticism builds -- Andrew Salmon, Asia Times

Orban and the autocratic spring -- John Lloyd, Reuters

The making of Vladimir Putin -- The Week

Clash of the Strategists -- Dov S. Zakheim, National Interest

The End of Peak Oil -- David Deming, American Thinker