Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 1, 2018

Dave Majumdar, National Interest: Everything You Need to Know about the Cruise-Missile Strikes in Syria

Russia continues to insist that Syrian forces shot down a majority of the allied cruise missiles launched against the Assad regime by the United States, France and the United Kingdom on April 13, 2018. However, Moscow’s assertions are extremely dubious because low-flying cruise missiles are extremely difficult to intercept, particularly over land. The Pentagon maintains that all of the missiles launched against Syria hit their targets.

Russia claims that only twenty-two of the 105 allied missiles hit their targets. “General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out a detailed analysis of the results of the strikes,” Col. Gen. Sergei Rudskoy, Chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the Russian General Staff, told reporters on April 25. “The collected fragments of missiles, study of shell craters, and the nature of destruction of objects allow us to conclude that no more than twenty-two hits of a hundred and five reported ones have been fixed in the target area.”

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 1, 2018

Netanyahu's theatrics help push Trump towards Iran deal withdrawal -- Julian Borger, The Guardian

Can Trump Legally Withdraw from the Iran Deal? -- Robert Eatinger, The Cipher Brief

To contain Iran, look first to Yemen – not sanctions -- Carlos Pascual, Reuters

Kim Jong-un Is Ready to Deal -- Salvatore Babones, National Interest

What Kim Jong Un Wants From Trump -- Van Jackson, Politico

Kim Jong Un Is Manipulating the World -- Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic

Eurasia torn between war and peace -- Pepe Escobar, Asia Times

Afghanistan blasts are an attack on press freedom -- Sandra Petersmann, DW

Why Washington Turns a Blind Eye to Egypt's Thugocracy -- Doug Bandow, National Interest

Illicit Gold Trade Fuels Conflict in South Africa -- Christopher Clark, Al Jazeera

Will Brexit destabilise peace agreement in Ireland? -- Lawrence Lee, Al Jazeera

The Basque Gerry Adams -- Guy Hedgecoe, Politico

Trump May Go Too Far in Alienating Europe -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Donald Trump - how world leaders have handled him -- BBC

Team Trump may be in for rough ride in Beijing over trade row -- Gordon Watts, Asia Times

Donald Trump: What are the US President's chances of getting a Nobel Peace Prize? -- Lucia Stein, ABC News Online