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

A US soldier sits atop an armoured vehicle during a demonstration by Syrian Kurds against Turkish threats next to a base for the US-led international coalition on the outskirts of Ras al-Ain town in Syria's Hasakeh province near the Turkish border on October 6, 2019. - US forces in Syria started pulling back today from Turkish border areas, opening the way for Ankara's threatened military invasion and heightening fears of a jihadist resurgence. DELIL SOULEIMAN

Lt. Gen. (ret.) David A. Deptula and Ari Cicurel, Defense News: Restoring US credibility in the Middle East

After 28 years of U.S. forces participating in continuous combat in the Middle East, it is not surprising that a popular consensus exists to reduce U.S. military presence in the region. President Trump used this perspective to defend his recent decision to withdraw from Syria, declaring that he is “bringing soldiers home.” However, withdrawing some number of American troops from the Middle East distracts from the larger question of how the U.S. can best achieve its strategic objectives. That question involves much more than a count of the number of pairs of U.S. soldiers’ boots on the ground.

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

Does Russia Have Red Lines in Syria? -- Ali Demirdas, National Interest

There Was No 'Secret War on the Truth' in Afghanistan -- Jon Schroden, War On The Rocks

Tragedies of the Afghan war -- Manoj Kumar Mishra, Asia Times

China trade: what a 200-year crisis reveals -- Francesco Sisci, Asia Times

Europe Ensnared in a Web of Russian Spies -- Alla Hurska, Eurasia Daily Monitor

Boris Must Deliver for His New Voters in the North -- Ruth Sunderland, Daily Mail

Get Brexit Done? Be Careful What You Wish For. -- Peter Harris, National Interest

The Big, Untold Story of Impeachment? It’s Incredibly Popular. -- David A. Graham, The Atlantic

Impeachment Could End Badly -- Shadi Hamid, The Atlantic

The Space Force has gone from joke to reality -- Mark R. Whittington, The Hill

How Madrid talks fell short on climate ambition -- AP