Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 21, 2019

Afghan army soldiers, National Directorate of Security intelligence officers, and a Panjshiri mujahideen commander greet each other at the frontline between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Panjshir on August 13, 2019. Christopher Jones

Christopher R. Jones, VOX: “America’s surrender”: What Afghans think about US-Taliban peace talks

Many Afghans fear US-Taliban peace talks are coming at their own expense.

KABUL, Afghanistan — At a time when America is vehemently divided politically, there is one policy that seems to have almost unanimous support: ending the US war in Afghanistan. Poll after poll shows that Americans across the political and social spectrum want the war to end, and it’s one of the few things that President Donald Trump and nearly every 2020 Democratic candidate agree on.

But those who’ve fought against and lived under the Taliban believe a US troop withdrawal today would come at the expense of Afghan peace tomorrow. I recently spent three weeks in Afghanistan speaking with government officials and citizens alike about their perspective on the current US negotiations with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, to end US involvement in the war.

And what I heard from nearly everyone I spoke to — from academics in Kabul to mujahideen in the Panjshir Valley who fought against the Soviets in the 1980s — was a deep distrust of America’s goal in the peace talks.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 21, 2019

Turkey's Syria Policy Could Lead to Its Own Destruction -- Michael Rubin, National Interest

The Kurdistan Region of Iraq Is Struggling to Survive -- Seth J. Frantzman, National Interest

Is ISIS Back? -- Julianne Geiger, OilPrice.com

Lebanon needs more than just protests and outrage -- Rainer Sollich, DW

Lebanon is experiencing a social revolution -- Lina Khatib, Al Jazeera

Hong Kong locked in spiral of violence and chaos -- Jimmy Yee, Asia Times

How did Indonesia's Jokowi and Prabowo go from enemies to best mates? -- Max Walden and Erwin Renaldi, ABC News Online

Slain student fuels ‘second revolution’ in Bangladesh -- Sabria Chowdhury Balland, Asia Times

In Congo, an Ebola survivor with a motorbike helps ease fear -- Al-Hadji Kudra Maliro, AP

Greece’s half-miracle -- Paul Taylor, Politico.eu

The Spanish constitutional settlement is in crisis -- Javier Moreno Zacares, Al Jazeera

Bolivia election uncertainty: Evo Morales win or runoff? -- Paola Flores and Carlos Valdez, AP

The U.S.-China Trade War Won't End Anytime Soon -- Christian Whiton, National Interest

Canada Sleepwalks Into the Future -- Ryan Heath, Politico