Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 21, 2018

Reuters

National Interest: Is the North Korea–Trump Summit Dead?

Jacob Heilbrunn and Harry Kazianis discuss the prospects for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

A SPECTER is haunting Washington—the specter of nuclear war with North Korea. The idea that the Trump administration should endorse a military solution—and a full-blown war if necessary—to degrade or destroy North Korea’s nuclear-weapons program is acquiring a new prominence. Advocates of war argue that the time to hit North Korea is now. They say that time is running out, and that Pyongyang will soon perfect its ability to attack America. Their contention is that America can knock out North Korea’s nuclear program with some “shock and awe”–style bolt from the blue. Finally, they say that a war “over there” would be better than the death of innocent Americans “over here.”

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 21, 2018

Pyongyang-Washington summit: Who is bluffing who? -- Robert McCoy, Asia Times

Who Wants a Deal More: North Korea or the United States? -- Abby Bard, National Interest

Will Trump and Kim hash out 'something like the Iran deal'? -- Michael Knigge, DW

Could North Korean defectors affect Trump summit? -- BBC

Asian-American admiral nominated as US ambassador to Seoul -- Andrew Salmon, Asia Times

How a Reporter Sees the Korea Crisis -- Uri Friedman and Caroline Kitchener, The Atlantic

Washington Still Doesn’t Understand Iraq -- Ted Galen Carpenter, National Interest

Jordan Poised to Be Middle East Partner of Choice, but Must Improve Internal Security -- Alexandra N. Gutowski, RCD

Tehran eyes path ahead after US withdrawal from nuclear pact -- Pepe Escobar, Asia Times

Pompeo Demands a King’s Ransom from Iran -- Curt Mills, National Interest

Pompeo Declares Economic War on Iran -- Krishnadev Calamur, The Atlantic

Analysis: Operation Augury: Australia's war on terror goes 'dark' in the Philippines, but why? -- Greg Jennett, ABC News Online

China’s Strategic Strait in the South China Sea -- Malcolm Davis, RCD?The Strategist

Burundi referendum: Who will stop Pierre Nkurunziza? -- Fred Muvunyi, DW

Oil prices caught between U.S. policies on Iran, China -- Daniel J. Graeber, UPI

Is Abramovich at last paying the price for being too close to Putin? -- Luke Hardng, The Guardian

Cryptocurrency: What it is, how it works -- and will the bubble burst? -- Daniel Uria, UPI