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

A US Marine walks through Helmand province in southern Afghanistan in 2010. (Reuters / Goran Tomasevic)

Tom Engelhardt, The Nation: The War in Afghanistan Is Headed for a Record

Fair warning. Stop reading right now if you want, because I’m going to repeat myself. What choice do I have, since my subject is the Afghan War (America’s second Afghan War, no less)? I began writing about that war in October 2001, almost 17 years ago, just after the US invasion of Afghanistan. That was how I inadvertently launched the unnamed listserv that would, a year later, become TomDispatch. Given the website’s continuing focus on America’s forever wars (a phrase I first used in 2010), what choice have I had but to write about Afghanistan ever since?

So think of this as the war piece to end all war pieces. And let the repetition begin!

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

Iran's Economy Can't be Shielded from U.S. Sanctions -- James Phillips, National Interest

Terrorists are Tightening Their Grip on Yemen -- Michael Horton, National Interest

Challenged by US and market crisis, Turkey turns to Europe -- Christopher Torchia, AP

Turkey buys time before day of IMF reckoning -- Nils Pratley, The Guardian

Turkey and Qatar: Behind the strategic alliance.

Trump’s Threats Against Iran Ignore Middle East Realities -- Emile Nakhleh, The Cipher Brief

Kim Jong-nam murder suspects one step closer to death -- Nile Bowie, Asia Times

Russia expands assets and naval horizons across Indo-Pacific -- Emanuele Scimia, Asia Times

Cambodia is now officially a one-party state -- David Hutt, Asia Times

Why Putin's Approval Ratings Are Declining Sharply -- Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs

Greece Is Back on the Grid, But Recovery Remains Elusive -- Giorgos Christides and Tobias Rapp, Spiegel Online

Low-key Washington talks unlikely to end US-China trade war -- Gordon Watts, Asia Times

America is Addicted to Sanctions -- Nicolai N. Petro, National Interest

US dollar on its way out as world's lead currency? -- Lars Halter, DW