Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 22, 2021

 

Holly Ellyatt, CNBC: The world is worried Putin is about to invade Ukraine. Here’s why 

* Russian President Vladimir Putin is being watched closely by experts and officials. 

* They fear that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine. 

* Tens of thousands of Russian troops have reportedly gathered at the border with Ukraine. 

* Russia invaded and annexed Crimea, a part of Ukraine, in 2014. 

President Vladimir Putin is being watched closely by experts and officials who fear Russia might be planning a military escalation with its neighbor Ukraine. 

Tens of thousands of Russian troops have reportedly gathered at the border with Ukraine, and experts fear Russia could be about to stage a repeat of its 2014 invasion and annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which prompted global outrage and sanctions on Moscow.  

Read more .... 

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- November 22, 2021  

What Vladimir Putin Is Up To in Ukraine -- Ian Bremmer, Time  

Russia Won’t Let Ukraine Go Without a Fight -- Michael Kimmage and Michael Kofman, Foreign Affairs  

The Ramifications of Russia’s Reckless Anti-Satellite Test -- Malcolm Davis, ASPI  

The Pandemic’s Next Turn Hinges on Three Unknowns -- Sarah Zhang, Defense One  

The new COVID war: Redefining vaccinated -- Caitlin Owens, Axios  

COVID: Is Germany set to introduce compulsory vaccination? -- William Noah Glucroft, DW  

North Korea’s Push for Reunification Isn’t Just Empty Rhetoric -- Benjamin R. Young, WPR  

Biden’s Dirty Deal With the Taliban -- Daniel Greenfield, Frontpage  

War by Timeframe: Responding to China’s Pacing Challenge -- Michael C. Horowitz, War On The Rocks 

Australia-China Tensions Simmer Amid Trade War and AUKUS -- William Yuen Yee, Jamstown Foundation  

China's Peng Shuai scandal is far from over -- Kendall Baker, Axios  

Egypt Weighs Impact of Ethiopia's Civil War -- Baher al-Kady, Al Monitor  

EXPLAINER: What does PM’s reinstatement mean for Sudan? -- Joseph Krauss, AP  

Sudan: Is Hamdok's return a signal of democracy or military victory? -- Jennifer Holleis, DW  

Lukashenko’s Failed Gambit -- Andrew Lohsen, CSIS  

Senators Have More Than 900 Ideas To Fix America’s Security -- Defense One

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 18, 2020

 

Luke Harding, The Guardian: Cyber-attack is brutal reminder of the Russia problem facing Joe Biden

Analysis: new president must find a way to contain such hyper-aggressive behaviour from Moscow 

It is Joe Biden’s biggest foreign policy headache. As well as confronting the Covid pandemic, the president-elect has to deal with a more familiar problem: Russia. 

Moscow’s meddling in the 2016 US presidential election cast a shadow over US politics for four long years. And now the Kremlin appears to have struck again. 

This week details emerged of an unprecedented cyber-attack against US government departments. 

Beginning in March, suspected Russian hackers penetrated Washington’s signature institutions. 

Read more .... 

 Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- December 18, 2020 

Biden vows to make cybersecurity top priority of administration -- Al Jazeera 

How 'cyber equivalent of Pearl Harbor' unfolded at the 'perfect time for a perfect storm': Feds may NEVER know true scale of 9-month-long Russian hack that breached US nuclear agencies, Pentagon government departments and Fortune 500 companies, experts say -- Daily Mail 

Can Biden Unwind Trump’s ‘Maximum Pressure’ on Venezuela and Iran? -- Judah Grunstein, WPR

The Taiwan ‘prize’ and the US-China rivalry in the Pacific -- Sheldon Chanel, Al Jazeera 

Arab Spring: 10 moments, 10 years on -- BBC 

Cutting Off Saudi Arabia Would Only Embolden its Worst Impulses -- Maya Carlin, National Interest

Tunisia still faces major economic challenges, a decade after the revolution -- France 24 

Are Saudi Arabia and Pakistan untying the knot? -- Jennifer Holleis, DW 

Why Belarusians Are Turning Against Russia -- Artyom Shraibman, Moscow Times 

What do US sanctions on Turkey mean for NATO? -- Alex Gatopoulos, Al Jazeera 

How will Turkey respond to US sanctions? -- Inside Story/Al Jazeera 

How EU and US are trying to rein in tech giants -- AFP 

Why Retired Generals Rarely Lead the Pentagon -- Dwight Stirling, AP 

Coronavirus: What does Emmanuel Macron's infection mean for other EU leaders? -- Barbara Wesel, DW 

”Now It’s Totally Dead”: Can Small Businesses Survive COVID’s Economic Wrecking Ball? -- William Cohan, Vanity Fair 

US experts debate: Who should be next in line for vaccine? -- Mike Stobbe, AP 

Katalin Kariko, the scientist behind the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine -- France 24

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 21, 2020

These figures show the year-on-year change in GDP for some of the world's richest countries, with China's economy larger than it was a year ago while Western economies including Britain and America have seen massive decline 

Edward Lucas, Daily Mail: How sickening that the dragon is roaring back: China's economy is booming during the pandemic it unleashed 

How galling it is to see China bouncing back from the global pandemic that it unleashed. 

While the rest of the world wrestles with fear, mistrust, unemployment, recession, stagnation, non-Covid health catastrophes, countless blighted lives and a ‘second wave’ of the virus, China is set to enter 2021 stronger than it was in January 2020. 

That was the month when Chinese complacency, deceit and the ruthless diktat of the Communist Party allowed coronavirus to get its first foothold among humankind. 

Read more .... 

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 21, 2020 

China has the world's largest navy — what now for the US? -- Wesley Rahn, DW 

China Keeps Inching Closer to Taiwan -- Michael Beckley, Foreign Policy 

China’s provocations propel decision to include Australia in upcoming Malabar exercise -- Bradley Bowman and Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery (ret.), Defense News 

Growing North Korean Nuclear Threat Awaits US Election Winner -- Deb Riechmann, AP 

Kyrgyz electoral fiasco involves familiar faces -- Matteo Fumagalli, East Asia Forum 

All Eyes on Suga's Foreign Policy Agenda -- Satohiro Akimoto, Nikkei 

How Russia Views Afghanistan Today -- Nurlan Aliyev, War On The Rocks 

Police brutality is just tip of the iceberg for protesters in Nigeria -- Jason Burke, The Guardian 

End the American military presence in Somalia -- Robert Moore, The Hill 

Sudan is removed from the terror list. Now what? -- Cameron Hudson, Atlantic Council 

Former top CIA analyst on al Qaeda, Iraq and 9/11 -- CBS 

Is France at war with its Muslims? -- Al Jazeera 

What New World Order? The Case For A Stronger Germany -- Michael Stürmer, World Crunch 

As the Arctic's attractions mount, Greenland is a security black hole -- Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, Reuters 

The US is taking on Google in a huge antitrust case. It could change the face of online search -- Katharine Kemp, ABC News (Australia)

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 19, 2020

BBC: Covid-19 pandemic: Tracking the global coronavirus outbreak 

Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world, with over 40 million confirmed cases in 189 countries and more than one million deaths. 

The virus is surging in many regions and some countries that had apparent success in suppressing initial outbreaks are also seeing infections rise again. 

Read more .... 

 Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 19, 2020 

Covid: What are the lockdown rules in place across Europe? -- BBC 

China's economy was first in to Covid crisis – and is first out -- Larry Elliott, The Guardian 

Is the world suffering from pandemic fatigue? -- Al Jazeera 

Who Will Win Nagorno-Karabakh? -- Stratfor Worldview 

Armenian president: 'Turkey has a completely destructive role in Nagorno-Karabakh' -- France 24 

Do Not Expect a Rush of Arms Sale to Iran -- Ellie Geranmayeh, ECFR 

Amid Iran Talks, China Continues Gulf Outreach -- Sabena Siddiqui, Al Monitor 

Are Egypt-Russia naval drills in Black Sea message to Ankara? -- Muhammed Magdy, Al-Monitor

After more than 40 years of conflict, Afghans say preventing next war as vital as ending this one -- Kathy Gannon, The Associated Press 

Thailand Spirals Toward Outright Conflict -- Joshua Kurlantzick, CFR 

Thailand's protests and their digital dimension -- Rodion Ebbighausen, DW 

Equatorial Guinea: New documentary explores one of the world's oldest dictatorships -- DW 

Is China really about to invade Taiwan? -- RT 

A New Normal for U.S. China Policy? -- A ChinaFile Conversation 

UK: Is Scotland on course to leave Britain? -- Alasdair Soussi, Al Jazeera 

French Teacher Beheaded: A New Attack on Freedom of Speech -- Le Monde

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 13, 2019

Members of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) stand together near Baghouz, Deir Az Zor province, Syria [Rodi Said/Reuters]

Anchal Vohra, Al Jazeera: What next as battle against ISIL nears an end?

Fears of a resurgence as thousands flee to IDP camps in the 'final' offensive to push ISIL out of eastern Syria.

It is the moment Abu Jaber al-Shaiti has waited for more than four years. A few more hours, a few hundred metres, and he will have his revenge.

In 2014, as Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS) expanded to Syria through the Iraqi border, Abu Jaber's kin in the Shaitat tribe stood up to challenge the group's designs on their oil-rich lands.

ISIL hunted down 700 to 1,000 men, shot some and beheaded others, and even filmed their slaughter to serve as a lesson for the rest.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 13, 2019

America's Effort to Isolate Iran Will Backfire -- Trita Parsi, National Interest

America's Mideast retreat -- Paul Salem, Chatham House

A ‘New INF’ with China? No Talks Yet, US Arms Control Chief Says -- Katie Bo Williams, Defense One

The New NAFTA's Real Target? China -- Jorge López Areválo, World Crunch

Russia wants to unplug itself from the internet. Here's how that works -- Daniel Miller, ABC News Online

Will the yellow vests movement spread across Europe? -- Tara Varma, ECFR

Global Spain vs. Catalan separatists: The ultimate PR battle -- Diego Torres, Politico.eu

Catalan trial: Will Spanish Socialists survive snap polls? -- Creede Newton, Al Jazeera

Russia Reset Redux Not the Answer to Increased Chinese-Russian Cooperation -- Bradley Bowman & Andrew Gabel, RCD

Could Russia and Belarus trade oil for national sovereignty? -- Emily Sherwin, DW

Door slams on guilty El Chapo after old mob pals line up to squeal -- Ed Vulliamy, The Guardian

Despite El Chapo arrest, powerful Sinaloa cartel marches on -- Maria Verza and Mark Stevenson, AP

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 12, 2015

Ian Black, The Guardian: How international divisions contributed to Syria's war without end

After four years of conflict, it is clear President Assad’s allies have been more determined to keep him in power than his enemies have been to remove him

No one knows how Syria’s war will end. Four years of violence, destruction and instability have had a terrible impact on millions of its people, on the country and the wider Middle East. But it is already clear that international divisions over the greatest crisis of the 21st century have contributed to its severity and longevity.

Americans, Europeans, Russians, Iranians and Arabs all played their part. Competing interests, misreadings and indecision were on display when the uprising began in March 2011. Western governments were still dazzled by the speed and drama of the early Arab spring. Dictators had been overthrown in Tunisia and Egypt, protests were shaking Bahrain, and Nato was poised to intervene in support of rebels in Libya fighting Muammar Gaddafi.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 12, 2015

Syria: how far will Barack Obama go? -- Tom McCarthy, The Guardian

What strategy for Tikrit, Mosul and beyond? -- Alia Brahimi, Al Jazeera

How ISIS Ate Al Qaeda -- Olivier Guitta, Daily Beast

Secret North Korea talks? -- Bill Gertz, Washington Times

Secret meetings in Pakistan expose obstacles to Afghan peace talks -- Jibran Ahmad and Mehreen Zahra-Malik, Reuters

Who wants what in Libya? -- BBC

Is Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood ready to fight? -- Louisa Loveluck, CSM

Dear Greece: World War II Ended 70 Years Ago -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Is Putin ill? 'Everything is fine' despite canceled meetings and old photos -- Alec Luhn, The Guardian

There's a theory that someone killed prominent Putin critic Nemstov in front of the Kremlin to scare Putin -- Christian Lowe and Jason Bush, Reuters

Putin's grab of Crimea still rankles West. How about Crimeans? -- Fred Weir, CSM

Is Venezuela Really an ‘Extraordinary Threat’ to the United States? -- Greg Grandin, The Nation

Letter Won't Change Iran's Game Plan -- Stephen L. carter, Bloomberg

Obama Administration Falls Into GOP’s Iran Letter Trap -- Tim Mak, Daily Beast

Does Obama have a private e-mail account? Why White House won't say. -- Husna Haq, CSM

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 16, 2014

U.S. Credibility And The Anti-ISIS Coalition -- Max Boot, Commentary

Last week a congressman asked me: Should I support President Obama’s anti-ISIS strategy even though it is likely to fail? Good question. And it’s not only lawmakers who are asking themselves that question. So are actual or potential U.S. allies from Europe to the Middle East. The most important people to be asking themselves that question are Sunni tribes in Iraq and Syria whose support is vital to defeat ISIS. But should they risk their lives in what could well be a losing cause?

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- September 16, 2014

Airstrike Uncertainties: Obama's Dangerously Vague New War -- Markus Feldenkirchen, Christoph Reuter and Holger Stark, Spiegel Online

Turkish reluctance hurts U.S. plans for coalition against Islamic State -- Jonny Hogg and Nick Tattersall, Reuters

Iran and the U.S. Are Allies Against ISIS but Aren’t Ready to Admit It Yet -- Joshua Keating, Slate

How Iran Could Become Our Shadow Enemy in the Syria ISIS War -- Jacob Siegel, Daily Beast

Islamic State: Obama plan to cut pipeline for US terrorist recruits -- Harry Bruinius, CSM

Islamic State in Iraq: 'They Know Exactly What They Are Doing' -- Spiegel Online

Kerry Enlists Saudi King in War of Ideas Against ISIS -- Michael Crowley, Time

Syrian Opposition Blasts Reports It Signed a Truce With ISIS -- Josh Rogin, Daily Beast

Avoid a classic blunder: Stay out of religious wars in the Middle East -- Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, Reuters

Is Iraq Becoming America’s Gaza? -- Leon Hadar, American Conservative

Xi’s visit a defining moment in India-China ties -- Atul Aneja & Suhasini Haidar, Hindu Times

Repairing Japan-China ties -- Japan Times editorial

The Hornet’s Nest: Our Longest War and the Americans who Fought It -- David Mattingly, War On The Rocks

How history turned against Tory-voting Scotland -- Tom Devine, The Guardian

Why is the U.S. nervous about Scottish independence vote? -- Kevin Liptak, CNN White House Producer

Russia's Treaty Violations & Nuclear Instability -- William Schneider, Real Clear Defense

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- January 18, 2013

 

Algeria Crisis Is A Wakeup Call For America -- Frida Ghitis, CNN 

(CNN) -- The news that a large number of Westerners, including several Americans, had become hostages in North Africa shook the U.S. once again out of the delusion that it is possible to turn away from the world's problems.

Many Americans would like nothing better than to forget about the rest of the planet and focus on all the challenges crying for attention at home. After more than a decade of fighting costly and painful wars in faraway lands, people have grown weary, tired of worrying about complicated conflicts that seem to have no connection to their own lives.

 But then bad things happen.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials  

Algeria Attack Shows The Arab Spring Morphing Into The War On Terror -- Christopher Helman, Forbes

Is Mali the next Afghanistan? -- Matthew Schofield, McClatchy Newspapers

Why Africa backs French in Mali -- Lansana Gberie, Special to CNN

Extremists are not the partners for Mali solution -- National Editorial

Don’t Overreact to Mali (or the Hostages). Let the Obama doctrine lead the way. -- Fred Kaplan, Slate

Libya Is Messy. So Was Eastern Europe in 1991. -- Ali Tarhouni, Bloomberg

U.N. rules and Syrian intervention -- John B. Bellinger III, Washington Post

Saddam footsteps -- Daily Star editorial

Trying to make sense of Pakistan -- Ghaffar Hussain, The Commentator

Analysts: Political party polls in Kenya a failure -- Tom Odula, AP

Europe Must Prepare for Life Without America -- Con Coughlin, Telegraph

The Pacific President: In his second term, Obama is taking a decisive turn away from Europe – and Britain -- Freddy Gray, Spectator

What’s behind Cuba’s new travel policy? -- Mimi Whitefield, Miami Herald

The Death of Fatah and the Future of Palestine -- Dalia Hatuqa, The Atlantic

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- November 5, 2012

International Military Intervention in Syria Remains Unlikely -- Keida Kostreci, Voice of America

WASHINGTON — The main Syrian opposition bloc, the Syrian National Council, voted Monday at a meeting in Doha, Qatar, to broaden its ranks in the face of U.S. pressure to create a more representative leadership.

Still, Syria will remain a foreign policy challenge for the U.S., no matter who wins Tuesday's presidential election.

Even as the United States tries to identify the right people for a transitional authority to replace Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, the Obama administration said it is still considering a no-fly zone for northern Syria, but not a military intervention.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Worldview: In Syria, rebels struggling for unity and weapons -- Trudy Rubin, Inquirer Opinion Columnist

On Iran, the strategists are wiser -- Arvind Sivaramakrishnan, The Hindu

Backing up rhetoric with action in Bahrain -- Stephen McInerney, Washington Post

Sunni-Shia conflict: Major feature of ME politics -- Barry Rubin, Jerusalem Post

The Circumstance of Pomp: Hamas Makes a Stately Move -- Karl Vick, Time

Pakistan’s hot nuclear greenhouse -- Praveen Swami, The Hindu

Restive population spooks China’s Communist rulers -- Minxin Pei, Toronto Star

Australia’s Place in the “Asian Century” -- Rory Medcalf, The Diplomat

A Russian bridge across Eurasia -- Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, The Hindu

Who’s Afraid of Russian Nationalists? -- Masha Gessen, New York Times

Nationalism Returns in Europe -- Nikolas K. Gvosdev, National Interest

Jarrett’s Secret Iran Talks Raise Questions About Obama’s Intentions -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

Bam’s Benghazi lies: White House not telling the truth -- Ralph Peters, New York Post

Commander-in-Chief v the World -- Katty Kay, The European

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- April 10, 2012

U.S. President Barack Obama is pictured as he delivers remarks on college affordability at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan Jan. 27, 2012. Jason Reed/Reuters

Obama Offer Could Defuse Or Ignite Confrontation With Iran -- Paul Koring, Globe And Mail

In a back-channel message to Tehran, President Barack Obama proffered a high-risk gambit: America will accept an Iranian nuclear program that forswears nuclear weapons if the vow is verifiable.

Later this week, in Istanbul, the Great Powers, hosted by Turkey and joined by Iran, will seek to defuse a looming confrontation which – if mishandled – could unleash Israeli warplanes to attack Iran’s buried nuclear sites, doom Mr. Obama’s hopes for a second term or even ignite a major war across the Middle East.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

How Good Is Our Intelligence on Iran? -- Max Boot, Commentary

President Assad’s Latest Bluff -- New York Times editorial

Consequences of a Victory for Assad Will Be Costly for Obama -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

A ticking clock on Syria: Intervention is likely, and the United States won't wait as long as it did in Bosnia. -- Doyle McManus, L.A. Times

Iraq’s slide toward renewed violence: Washington’s disengagement risks wasting years of sacrifice -- Ayad Allawi, Washington Times

An India-Pakistan Thaw? -- Shashi Tharoor, Project Syndicate

The Bo Xilai Sideshow -- Jonathan Fenby, New York Times

Proving Kim Jong-un wrong -- Korea Joong Ang Daily

Egypt's presidency: The revolution within the Ikhwan -- Dr Larbi Sadiki, Al Jazeera

Could Islamist rebels undermine change in Africa? -- Matthew Tostevin, Reuters

European court ends era of safe harbor for Abu Hamza -- Robert Marquand, Christian Science Monitor

France's presidential duel opens up -- Christine Ockrent, Gulf Times

The French Election: Nicolas Sarkozy promises voters he can change -- The Economist

Chavez Exit Won’t Mean Venezuela’s Problems Out the Door -- Bloomberg editorial

Is Canada witnessing a ‘Western Spring’? -- Jesse Kline, National Post

The Ghosts of Rwanda and the Responsibility to Protect -- Bridget Johnson, PJ Media

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- January 25, 2012

What The World Learns From What Obama Didn’t Say -- Tony Karon, Time

Strategic decision-makers in the Middle East, Europe and Asia who stayed up late to catch President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address on Tuesday may have initially wondered why they had bothered. In sharp contrast to the Bush era when three quarters of a typical SOTU address covered matters of national security and the projection of power abroad, Obama had precious little to say about his intentions on the global stage. Indeed, the U.S. military figured most prominently in Obama’s speech as an inspiring example of the cooperation, commitment and shared sacrifice that will be asked of all Americans in tackling the country’s economic woes.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Highlights from Obama's SOTU address -- Uri Friedman, Foreign Policy

The Perils of Obama’s Foreign Policy -- Victor Davis Hanson, National Review

Bin Laden’s killers send a message to Somali pirates -- Matt Gurney, National Post

Even without Hormuz blockade, Iran has options -- Peter Apps, Reuters

A Europe-Iran War -- Mark A. Heller, New York Times

What's new in the latest speculation over Israel attacking Iran -- Uri Friedman, Foreign Policy

To avoid war, Iran must stop playing games -- Michael Burleigh, Daily Mail

No joy in Egypt -- L.A. Times editorial

Egypt's Economic Crisis: Where Are the Promised Billions and What Will It Take for Investors to Return? -- Carina Kamel, Huffington Post

Kim Jong-nam Claims North Korea Reformist Mantle -- Takashi Yokota, Daily Beast

Trouble Down South: Why Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese Aren’t Getting Along -- Vanessa Ko, Time

Nigeria under siege -- The Hindu editorial

Republican primaries: Our U.S. cousins are going over the edge -- Kris Kotarski, Calgary Herald

Scotland talks independence – but can it afford it? -- Bryan Kay, Christian Science Monitor

Bedlam Brewing in Budapest? -- Alex Berezow, Real Clear World

How to Save the Euro -- George Soros, New York Review Of Books

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- February 22, 2011

Moammar Gaddafi Must Pay For Atrocities -- Washington Post Editorial

REPORTS FROM Libya Monday were sketchy and confused, but one conclusion appeared certain: The beleaguered dictatorship of Moammar Gaddafi was waging war against its own people and committing atrocities that demand not just condemnation but action by the outside world. Al-Jazeera reported that warplanes had joined security forces in attacking anti-government demonstrators in the capital, Tripoli; human rights groups said hundreds had been killed in clashes in the country's east. Libya's own delegation to the United Nations described the regime's actions as genocide and asked for international intervention.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

The End of a Libyan Crime Family: They might hold out temporarily, but it’s over for the Qaddafi clan. -- Michael C. Moynihan, Reason

Libya: ‘No-Fly’ Zone in Context -- J. E. Dyer, Commentary Magazine

Bloodshed in Libya: The Impotence of the West -- Carsten Volkery, Spiegel Online

Revolution and the Muslim World -- George Friedman, Real Clear World/Stratfor

The Arab Revolution: Revolution: 1848 and 2011 -- Robert Zaretsky, Le Monde

How Obama Lost Karzai: The road out of Afghanistan runs through two presidents who just don't get along. -- Ahmed Rashid, Foreign Policy

What does it really mean that Iran sent ships through the Suez Canal? -- Joshua Keating, Foreign Policy

State: CIA or not, Davis still has immunity -- Joshua Keating, Foreign Policy

How Labour let in 3 million immigrants, in defiance of the overwhelming wishes of the British people -- Sir Andrew Green, The Daily Mail

Asia’s Opium Resurgence -- Tom Fawthrop, The Diplomat

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- February 21, 2011

The Shattered Myth Of A Moderate Qaddafi Heir -- Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Policy

As violence grows in Libya, an urban myth -- one that has been passed around diplomatic circles for the last half decade -- has been effectively shattered: that Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam, is the moderate, Western, reform-oriented heir that London, Paris, and Washington have been waiting for.

By now, you'll have seen Saif al-Islam al-Qaddafi, the second oldest son of the Libyan leader, on air defending the brutal decades-long rule of his father. In a speech that had echoes of his dad's long and rambling incoherence, Saif blaimed the ongoing protests on everyone from criminals to Islamists. He promised that Qaddafi would fight to the last protestor.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Libya on the brink -- Blake Hounshell, Foreign Policy

Why Yemen's youths are not bowing to government pressure, violence -- Laura Kasinof, Christian Science Monitor

The Cairo connection -- Amitav Acharya, Times of India

UPDATED: The strange case of Raymond Davis, a ‘strategic corporal’ in Pakistan -- Robert Haddick, Small Wars Journal

Al Qaeda's Sputnik Moment -- Washington Times editorial

Start bringing terrorists to Gitmo again -- Marc Thiessen, Washington Post

Why the U.S. Should Engage the Muslim Brotherhood -- Philip Mudd, The Atlantic

No more Western hugs for Russia's rulers -- Mikhail Kasyanov, Vladimir Milov, Boris Nemtsov and Vladimir Ryzhkov, Washington Post

Pentagon Turns Eyes Toward Asia -- Richard Weitz, The Dilomat

China, the elephant in the global economic-recovery room -- Doug Saunders, Globe And Mail

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials On The Unrest In Libya

Libya's oil wealth not trickling down -- Robert Plummer, BBC
What next for the 'Mad Dog' of Libya? -- Al Jazeera
Gaddafi will not survive protests: Sahad -- ABC News (Australia)
Libya and the Qaddafis -- Amy Davidson, New Yorker
Libya protests analysis: 'For Muammar Gaddafi it's kill or be killed' -- Ian Black, The Guardian
Is this Libya's new revolution? -- Dirk Vandewalle, CNN

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- December 20, 2010

VILLAGE MEETING - U.S. Air Force Capt. Ryan Weld, center, and Romanian Forces from Task Force Black Scorpion talk with villagers during a shura in Khleqdad Khan, Afghanistan, Dec. 19, 2010. Weld is assigned to the Provincial Reconstruction Team Zabul. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson

Afghan Pluses And Minuses -- Arthur Herman, New York Post

The main point of last week's presidential report on America's progress in Afghanistan was no surprise: We're making "fragile" progress in our nine-year war there, but not enough. Yet it's what President Obama and his advisers aren't saying about Afghanistan that's vital to making up our minds on whether this war is worth it.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Afghanistan Feels the Squeeze -- Newsweek
The darkness of our wars -- James Carroll, Boston.com
How to succeed in Afghanistan -- Robert Grenier, Al Jazeera
Mixed review on Afghanistan -- Miami Herald editorial
Let's Un-Surge in Afghanistan -- Richard Haass, Wall Street Journal
Surge Protector -- Max Boot, Weekly Standard

Is Pakistan Losing Patience in the War on Terror? -- Robert Baer, Time Magazine

No clear path (in Pakistan) -- Huma Yusuf, Dawn

India's defense policy arrives at the crossroads for best buys -- Harsh Pant, Japan Times

New defense strategy in Japan -- Asahi editorial

‘Small war’ in Korea is postponed -- Robert Haddick, Small Wars Journal

France's missile sale to Lebanon: Missiles are but a symptom -- Jerusalem Post editorial

Piracy free-for-all: West turns blind eye, but it shouldn’t be tough to solve this cancer of the seas -- Peter Worthington, Toronto Sun

A democratic test for Venezuela -- Jackson Diehl, Washington Post

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- March 30, 2010

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga Versus Mideast Peace -- Wall Street Journal

Are settlements more offensive than pop stars?

Pop quiz—What does more to galvanize radical anti-American sentiment in the Muslim world: (a) Israeli settlements on the West Bank; or (b) a Lady Gaga music video?

If your answer is (b) it means you probably have a grasp of the historical roots of modern jihadism. If, however, you answered (a), then congratulations: You are perfectly in synch with the new Beltway conventional wisdom, now jointly defined by Pat Buchanan and his strange bedfellows within the Obama administration.

What is that wisdom? In a March 26 column in Human Events, Mr. Buchanan put the case with his usual subtlety:

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Terror Returns to Moscow -- The Times editorial

Moscow Under Attack -- Sergey Kuznetsov, New York Times

Day the War Came Back to Moscow -- Anna Nemtsova, Foreign Policy

An Illusory New START -- Alexander Golts, Moscow Times

Unruly Clients: The Trouble with Allies -- Steven Metz, World Affairs

Soothing China-U.S. Tensions -- Charles A. Kupshan, New York Times

Afghan war spilling Over in Central Asia -- Joshua Foust, Current Intelligence

President Obama in Kabul -- New York Times editorial

Drone dependency trivializing Afghan war -- Cesar Chelala, Japan Times

Decision time in Burma for democracy's advocates -- U Win Tin, Washington Post

What the Iraqis are building -- Washington Post editorial

Why Precious Is Strategic -- Brahma Chellaney, Times Of India

Guantanamo And Water Boarding -- Two Commentaries

Marc Thiessen And The Dishonest Waterboarding Debate -- Michael Scherer, Time Magazine

"We waterboarded in the CIA--the CIA waterboarded three terrorists. Just three. Nobody was waterboarded at Guantanamo. You know who else the U.S. has waterboarded? Tens of thousands of American service members during their SERE training."

--Marc Thiessen, former White House speechwriter on CNN, January 20, 2010

In late January, the former Bush Administration speechwriter Marc Thiessen, who has since become a Washington Post columnist, appeared on Christiane Amanpour's CNN show to discuss harsh waterboarding. He made a splash.

Read more ....

My Comment: I have always been a fan of Marc Thiessen. I saw what he did to Christiane Amanpour on CNN, and she did deserve the criticism that Marc Thiessen gave to her. Having said that, it is very difficult to discuss such an important issue in the few minutes that are allocated to you when you do a TV spot. I guess this is why I now tend to stay away from these forums .... Marc Thiessen knows his stuff, but it is next to impossible to make any salient point in two minutes and on this issue Michael Scherer is right. Christiane Amanpour also knows her stuff .... but she is also put in the same situation of making a point in a few minutes .... and like most pundits does a lousy job while doing it.

Guantanamo Bay 'will be closed no later than one year from now'.
(REUTERS: Brennan Linsley)

The World Goes Silent on Guantanamo? -- Victor Davis Hanson, National Review

Given that there is now almost no leftwing furor over Guantanamo—reminding us that the problem was probably never the detention center per se, but rather the liberal narrative of George Bush as outlaw—there seems to have been an administration decision made not to worry much about reneging on the pledge to have closed it by January 2010.

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My Comment: I know exactly what Victor Hanson is feeling .... I have spent the past few years debating with many on the opposite side of this issue on the necessity of keeping institutions like Guantanamo in place as an option for the President to conduct his long war against radical Islam and all of its offshoots.

Now that their man is in the White House .... I hear nothing but silence. There is now little if any criticism from the main stream media, academics, and the Democrat Party on this topic .... if there is criticism it is only from the dedicated and principled few who still maintain their principles on closing Guantanamo .... and for that I applaud them even though I disagree with them.

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- February 8, 2010

Chinese factory workers line up for their morning roll call. Photo from The Daily Mail

The World's Watchmaker (The China Of Today) -- Roger Cohen, New York Times

NEW YORK — I’ve been thinking about Eddie Leung. He had lunch with me the other day at his factory in Dongguan, China, and appeared wearing a black yarmulke. “All my friends are Jewish,” he said.

Leung’s a good salesman, charming guy. He makes watches, about 1.5 million pieces a year. He makes sterling silver watches for the QVC home shopping network and watches with the famous crocodile emblem for Lacoste. He makes Juicy Couture’s hot young line.

Tommy Hilfiger, Jennifer Lopez, Coach, Titan, Trump — name the brand and Leung is manufacturing their watches in China’s southern Guangdong Province, the place that is now the world’s factory.

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COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS, AND EDITORIALS

Why China is stoking war of words with US -- Bill Emmott, Times Online

What guides the Chinese tiger as it grows stronger? -- Patrick Granfield, The National

China Enters Asia’s ‘Great Game’ -- Joshua Kucera, The Diplomat

Will Tehran choose the Tiananmen solution? -- Amir Taheri, Times Online

Dangerous steps in Iran's nuclear dance -- Kaveh L Afrasiabi, Asia Times

Russia Is No Longer Cool -- Alexei Bayer, Moscow Times

President Palin? 'Absurd' not to consider it -- Simon Mann, Sydney Morning Herald

Big Government's Big Shortfall -- Robert Samuelson, Real Clear Politics

Recession chugs on, except in government -- Washington Examiner, editorial

Climate Strategy on a Road to Nowhere -- Bjorn Lomborg, Globe and Mail

Obama's Miranda Madness -- American Spectator

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- November 6, 2009

Obama's Frightening Insensitivity Following Shooting -- Robert George, NBC Chicago

A bad week for Democrats compounded by an awful moment for Barack Obama.

President Obama didn't wait long after Tuesday's devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Hmm. Can't imagine what Major Malik Nadal Hasan's motivation could have been -- James Delingpole, The Telegraph

Ft. Hood: Crime in the Military. What Motive? -- Thomas Kenniff, Washington Post

The Evil That Men Do -- Megan McArdle, The Atlantic

Anguish of Fort Hood Attack Will Echo -- Bob Owens, Pajamas Media

Massacre at Fort Hood -- Dallas Morning News editorial

The Security Vacuum in Afghanistan -- Max Boot, Commentary Magazine

No Insurgency Here (Afghanistan) -- Nader Mousavizadeh, Foreign Policy

'Dithering' May Be Good Policy -- Couloumbis, Ahlstrom & Weaver, RCW

U.S. Puts Faith in Pakistan's Military -- Syed Saleem Shahzad, Asia Times

The coming crises -- Ralph Peters, New York Post

The War Against the War on Terror -- Wall Street Journal

How the West Failed Eastern Europe -- Melik Keylan, Forbes

Very little to celebrate (in Russia) -- Vladimir Ryzhkov, Moscow Times

A Collection Of Papers On Military And National Security Concerns

New CNAS Reports and Working Papers -- Small Wars Journal

The Center for New American Security has released several new reports and working papers that will be presented at its third annual conference, “Striking a Balance: A New American Security" on Thursday, June 11. Topics include Iraq, Afghanistan-Pakistan, Natural Security, and combating violent extremism. Each report offers strong, principled and pragmatic recommendations on how to strike a balance between immediate and long-term national security challenges facing the United States.

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Opinions, Commentaries, And Editorials -- February 9, 2009

Senior Wildlife Officer Geoff McClure inspects the destruction in Marysville, Australia, about 62 miles northeast of Melbourne, after wildfires almost completely destroyed the town. William West / AFP/Getty Images

Opinions, Commentaries, And Editorials

Kremlin Trumps NATO -- Washington Times opinion
Russia's Silver Bullet for Afghanistan -- Mikhail Margelov, Moscow Times
Lessons From Iraq -- Christopher Schnaubelt, Defense News opinion
Obama Vs. The Atomic Axis Of Evil -- New York Post
Understanding Iran's Shia Tradition -- Karen Armstrong, The Times
Mr. Obama and Iran -- New York Times
No Holocaust in Gaza -- The Australian editorial
Israel's War Referendum -- Washington Times editorial
Will Israel Make the Right Choice? -- Jonathan Freedland, The Guardian
Support Ehud Barak -- Jeff Barak, Jerusalem Post
Middle East Mercy Mission -- Washington Times opinon
A Promise of War -- Washington Post opinion
After Gaza -- Los Angeles Times opinion
Iraq's Mandate for Stability -- Rocky Mountain News
The Cost of Resisting Jihadists -- Nat Hentoff, Washington Times
Slavery's Lasting Legacy in Africa -- Gregory Rodriguez, Los Angeles Times
Why Can't Japanese Get into Harvard? -- Dujarric & Honjo, Japan Times
God, Kim Jong-il and His Son -- Sunny Lee, Asia Times
Most Important Elections of 2009 -- RealClearWorld
An About-Face on Gay Troops -- New York Times
The Bureaucratic Coup Targeting Hillary and Israel -- American Thinker