Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 16, 2019

Jon Healey, L.A. Times: AOC and the Democrats gave Trump the fight he was looking for

President Trump is a gut-level politician who often seems to act on unfiltered impulse.

But his string of recent tweets about the self-styled “Squad” of liberal House Democrats feel calculated, not caffeinated. And, despite what a number of GOP pundits have argued, they were not politically stupid. Demeaning, offensive, nativist, unbecoming a president — yes to all that too. But Trump offends for a reason, and his motives for this latest fusillade of foulness are pretty obvious.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 16, 2019

Will Iran 'Break Out' For a Nuclear Weapon? -- Dennis Ross, The Hill

Lights out: Tehran’s clampdown on Western habits -- Kourosh Ziabari, Asia Times

Turkey, Cyprus and gas deposits: What you need to know -- Daniel Bellut, DW

Iran dispute risks spiraling out of control -- Shi Jiangyue, Asia Times

As tensions escalate, US must intensify pressure on Iran and the IAEA -- Jacob Nagel and Tzvi Kahn, The Hill

Afghanistan Isn't Worth Dying For -- Daniel L. Davis, National Interest

India’s War on Urdu -- Shahzaman Haque, The Diplomat

Be very afraid: Japan-Korea history war spirals toward trade war -- Andrew Salmon, Asia Times

Duterte's dilemma in the South China Sea -- Faisal Al Yafai, The National

Who is Ursula von der Leyen, the new European Commission president? -- Christoph Strack, DW

What is behind the recent spat between Georgia and Russia? -- Leonid Ragozin, Al Jazeera

The End of Cuba’s Entrepreneurship Boom -- Caroline Kuritzkes, Foreign Policy

What’s Behind Quebec’s Ban on Religious Symbols -- Jillian Kestler-D'Amours, The Atlantic

The Democratic foreign policy reckoning -- Conor Lynch, The Week

Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency stirs criticism, privacy concerns -- DW