Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 24, 2019

Reuters

Charles V. Peña, National Interest: America Knows It Cannot Win in Afghanistan—So Why Keep Fighting?

Washington’s defense hawks keep insisting on staying in Afghanistan even though the majority of Americans want out.

A recent survey found that 57 percent of Americans, including 69 percent of military veterans, said they would support a decision by the president to remove all troops from Afghanistan. But Washington’s foreign-policy elites—neoconservatives, defense hawks, and liberal interventionists alike—reject such a notion. According to Richard Hass , president of the Council on Foreign Relations, “Neither winning the war nor negotiating a lasting peace is a real option in Afghanistan. Just leaving, though, as we are about to do in Syria, would be a mistake .”

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- January 24, 2019

The Second Trump-Kim Summit: The Devil Is in the Details -- Eric Gomez, National Interest

The Second Trump-Kim Summit Is Set, But Is Trump Ready? -- Scott A. Snyder, Council on Foreign Relations

Philippine rebels clinch the spoils of a bloody war -- Bong S Sarmiento, Asia Times

Detentions show the length China will go in fight with the West -- Samantha Hoffman and Peter Mattis, The Hill

Tunisia’s democracy on life support as politicians squabble -- Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor

Al Qaeda Ideologue Justifies Shabaab’s War With the Islamic State in Somalia -- Thomas Joscelyn, Long War Journal

Nigeria: Africa's top oil producer, world's extreme poverty capital -- AFP

Putin’s plan to slowly reclaim Russia’s lost empire -- Alexander Kruglov, Asia Times

Macedonia and Greece: Why this 27-year row may be about to end -- Paul Kirby BBC News

Huawei: Was Canadian ambassador John McCallum trying to defuse Beijing’s anger when he said Meng Wanzhou had ‘strong case’ against extradition? -- Laura Zhou, SCMP

How Canada really can pressure Saudi Arabia to clean up its human rights (Hint: export our oil) -- Mike Bowerman, National Post

What's Behind Turkey's Fervent Support for Venezuela's Maduro -- Haaretz/Reuters

Pompeo is keeping US diplomats in Venezuela to break Maduro's military alliance -- Tom Rogan, Washington Examiner

Yes, there are fewer nuclear weapons — but they can still wipe us out -- David Krieger, The Hill

The Guardian view on Davos: elites without answers -- Guardian Editorial