Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 4, 2013

Government Shutdown: Do National Parks Really Need To Be Barricaded? -- Patrik Jonsoon, Christian Science Monitor

Some Americans see the closure of national parks as politically motivated, but others say keeping the areas open during the government shutdown invites liability problems. For many, the parks strike a chord.

As the last campers were being ushered out of Yosemite National Park on Thursday, some Americans were protesting what they see as the unnecessary barricading of the public’s wild lands because of the government shutdown.

That shutdown, now in its third day, has closed hundreds of national park areas as well as facilities such as boat ramps and campgrounds in federal forests like Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

The Insiders: The World War II Memorial is not a political prop -- Ed Rogers, Washington Post

Two Words That Should Make the West Wary of Iran -- Stephen L. Carter, Bloomberg

Netanyahu struggles to set the terms in Iranian dispute -- Dan Williams, Reuters

U.S. and Israel Share a Goal in Iran Talks, but Not a Strategy -- Jodi Rudoren and David E. Sanger, New York Times

When Israel Stepped Back From the Brink -- Avner Cohen, New York Times

The Fall of Tunisia's Islamists -- Michael J. Totten, World Affairs

Analysis: Kenya's intelligence work hurt by corruption, rivalries -- Edmund Blair, Reuters

Are Chinese Reforms Really a Myth? -- Ryan Rommann, The Diplomat

Obama cancels Asia trip. Is the US 'pivot' in jeopardy? -- Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor

Roma Immigrants Have Set France on Edge -- Christopher Dickey and Alice Guilhamon, Daily Beast

Transparency to secret drone war in Pakistan -- Deutsche Welle

Why the NSA's attacks on the internet must be made public -- Bruce Schneier, The Guardian

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 3, 2013

Government shutdown: Default Now Focus, As Treasury Warns Of 'Catastrophe' -- Linda Feldmann, Christian Science Monitor

On Day 3 of government shutdown, Democrats and Republicans shift the conversation to the looming debt limit, as chances grow that both issues will be resolved together.

With no resolution in sight to the government shutdown, Washington policymakers in both parties are looking ahead to a far more consequential deadline: the Oct. 17 debt limit.

If Congress does not raise the ceiling on government borrowing authority beyond $16.7 trillion by that date, the United States would soon head toward a historic default on its debt payments, risking a global economic crisis.

But that threat may be the bludgeon required to move Washington off the budget stalemate that closed parts of the federal government on Tuesday, analysts say.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Analysis: U.S. government shutdown fight could morph into debt limit superstorm -- David Lawder and Caren Bohan, Reuters

Why This Shutdown Is Different -- Richard Winchester, American Thinker

A new approach for Israel? -- Walter Pincus, Washington Post

Forget Rouhani´s overtures. We are still at war with Iran -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph

Japan, US fortify military ties with drones. Will China take note? -- Justin McCurry, Christian Science Monitor

Will shortened Obama trip to Asia buoy China? -- Ralph Jennings, Christian Science Monitor

Relabelling relations between China and America has not resolved the underlying tensions -- The Economist

In Nuke Talks with Iran, Learn from North Korea -- Gordon G. Chang, World Affairs

Planning for North Korea's Coming Demise -- Lamont Colucci, US News and World Report

Why Germany’s Politics Are Much Saner, Cheaper, and Nicer Than Ours -- Olga Khazan, The Atlantic

Insight: Turkey questions its EU future as Brussels looks to Balkans -- Adrian Croft, Reuters

Does Scotland Want Independence? -- Denise Mina, New York Times

Nicaragua’s proposed canal: A man, a plan—and little else. -- The Economist

Why does Putin deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor

Chinese Farmers, American Farms -- Vanessa Hua, New Yorker

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 2, 2013

Shutdown Undercuts Obama Defining America’s Global Role -- Nicole Gaouette, Bloomberg

The U.S. government’s partial shutdown poses global risks that American resolve and commitment will come into question, heightening allies’ concerns and boosting opponents’ confidence.

President Barack Obama has emphasized his vision of a U.S. more focused on “nation-building at home.” Many Obama administration foreign policy decisions, including the reluctance to arm Syrian rebels, the call for former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster, and the tentative engagement with Iran, have unsettled long-time allies, including Saudi Arabia and Israel.

Now, doubt about the U.S. ability to meet its basic commitments -- funding its government and honoring its debts -- is deepening concerns about America’s capacity to act on important foreign policy issues and honor its commitments abroad, said Ian Brzezinski, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington policy group.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

U.S. Romance with Iran Terrifies Arab Allies -- Evelyn Gordon, Commentary

Inside Kerry’s Syria Diplomacy -- Eli Lake, Daily Beast

For Israel, Attack on Iran Seems Off the Table -- Josef Federman, Real Clear World

Pyongyang and Tehran -- Joong Ang Daily

Moroccan king backs away from reforms -- Washington Post editorial

Al Qaeda shows it lacks popular legitimacy -- National Editorial

Should U.S. fear Boko Haram? -- John Campbell, Special to CNN

Is Silvio Berlusconi done as a politician? -- Nick Squires, Christian Science Monitor

Great Britain's Global Retreat -- Daniel Lakin, Real Clear World

To Venezuelans, Heir of Chávez Is a Poor Copy -- William Neuman, New York Times

Latin America's Anti-Americanism Is All Talk -- Luisa Parraguez, Francisco Garcia Gonzalez & Joskua Tadeo, Real Clear World

America Is Already Politically Bankrupt -- Spiegel Online

Iraqi, and Afghan, translators deserve the visas they were promised -- Washington Post Editorial

21 Best Tom Clancy Quotes -- Daily Beast

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 1, 2013

Sorry, We're Closed: America's Government Shutdown -- The Economist

AMERICA’S government has shut down for the first time since 1996. This is not quite as dramatic as it first sounds: essential services will be maintained and pensioners will still get their Social Security checks as the freeze applies only to discretionary spending. But it is astonishing nevertheless. For months the working assumption among politicos has been that a last-minute deal, even an anticlimactic one which merely delayed the reckoning, would be done. This turns out to have been wrong.

Until Congress can pass a continuing resolution to fund the government some 800,000 federal workers will go unpaid, all national parks, monuments and museums will close. To get a sense of where the line between essential and non-essential services falls consider NASA. The agency will close but mission control, which supports astronauts on the International Space Station, will remain open. The economic impact of all this depends entirely on how long the shutdown lasts, which, given that few people expected it to occur, is hard to gauge.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Exceptional or not, in the Middle East, the US is indispensable -- Paul Gross, Jerusalem Post

Russia: chemical weapons deal a good start, but Syria peace is still far off -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor

U.S. credibility still on the line in ridding Syria of chemical weapons -- Washington Post editorial

Gaza suffers as Hamas fights for survival on several fronts -- Jonathan Cook, The National

Obama has made a difference on Syria, but critics won’t give him credit -- Walter Pincus, Washington Post

Who Is Behind Rouhani's Would-Be Revolution? -- Shirin Khodaparast, World Crunch

Russia seeks to fill vacuum in the Middle East -- Liz Sly, Washington Post

Does Al Shabab Pose a Threat on American Soil? -- New York Times (Collection of Commentaries)

Sudan is finally building up to its own Arab spring -- Nesrine Malik, The Guardian

Is barbaric Boko Haram winning in Nigeria's north country? -- Gillian Parker, Christian Science Monitor

Tunisia’s Government Falls, Arab Democracy Is Born -- Noah Feldman, Bloomberg

Is Russia Losing Control of Its Far East? -- Andrew S. Bowen and Luke Rodeheffer, The Diplomat

Containing the Conventional Arms Trade -- New York Times editorial

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 30, 2013

Reaching Out: Obama's Ambitious Mideast Diplomatic Offensive -- Dieter Bednarz, Matthias Gebauer and Holger Stark, Spiegel Online

Barack Obama is moving his foreign policy course toward diplomacy and away from military intervention. Suddenly the Iranian nuclear issue and Israeli-Palestinian conflict are back on the table -- but is the Middle East ready for a breakthrough?

The historic moment was carefully choreographed. The foreign ministers of the five permanent member states of the United Nations Security Council, Russia, China, Great Britain, France and the United States, along with Germany, met at 4 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. After 15 minutes the host, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Catherine Ashton, called Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif into the recently renovated Security Council Chamber. The Iranians shouldn't feel excluded -- but they shouldn't feel too much a part of the global community either.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Iran´s sanctions-busting tells the true story of Rouhani´s overtures to the West -- Con Coughlin, The Telegraph

Charmed by Rouhani, but only to a point -- Doyle McManus, L.A. Times

The Test We're Giving Iran Is Rigged -- James Traub, Foreign Policy

Worries about the Rouhani phone call -- Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post

The Alawites, Ethnic Cleansing, and Syria's Future -- Franck Salameh, The National Interest

The state of al-Qaeda: The unquenchable fire -- The Economist

India and the Rise of the Indo-Pacific -- Vivek Mishra, The Diplomat

When Is it OK to Criminalize a Political Party? -- Joshua Keating, Slate

Russia pressures former Soviet republics to join his economic union. -- Washington Post editorial

What Really Scares Vladimir Putin the Most -- Julia Ioffe, New Republic

Italy: on the brink, once again -- Guardian editorial

Many Saudis don't want women to drive – but it has nothing to do with their ovaries -- Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor

The Eurozone’s Calm Before the Storm -- Nouriel Roubini, Project Syndicate

Newly Declassified Documents Show How the Surveillance State was Born -- Jeffrey Rosen, New Republic

A World Where No One Listens to America -- Dilip Hiro, Real Clear World

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 27, 2013

The creation of the Islamic Alliance has the potential to make anti-Assad moderates extinct. Reuters

A New Islamist Alliance Among Syria's Rebels -- Daniel Nisman, Wall Street Journal

The creation of the Islamic Alliance has the potential to make anti-Assad moderates extinct.

On Tuesday, 13 prominent Syrian rebel factions declared their unification under the banner of an "Islamic Alliance." Their statement, which consisted of four main points, largely expressed their boiling frustration with and official rejection of the Western-backed Syrian National Council, the opposition's political leadership-in-exile. The statement also affirmed that Shariah law should be the "sole source of legislation" in Syria—unsurprising given that most of the signatories already advocate the implementation of Islamic law, albeit according to their own interpretations.

While rebel alliances in Syria are often short-lived, the creation of the Islamic Alliance has the potential to make anti-Assad moderates extinct. The Alliance is a potent concoction of some of the most popular and combat-effective units, which have united under a dangerously anti-Western banner.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Syria's Islamists Assemble -- Michael Weiss, Real Clear World/NOW

U.S.-Saudi Ties Tested by Middle East Upheaval -- Brian Katulis, World Politics Review

The real Rouhani -- Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

Iran delivers on promises for a new tone at UN. Results to follow? -- Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor

Christians Are Being Thrown to Lions Again -- Peter Stanford, Telegraph

A Global Slaughter of Christians, but America’s Churches Stay Silent -- Kirsten Powers, Daily Beast

The world is leaving Afghanistan, but the war stays -- Graeme Smith, Globe and Mail

The Karachi Crackdown -- Hamza Mannan, The Diplomat

Letter from Kenya: Surviving Westgate -- James Verini, New Yorker

Drill, comrade, drill: Why the Kremlin's Arctic plan worries activists -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor

Austria Votes: Small Parties Could Unsettle Vienna -- Walter Mayr, Spiegel Online

Has Brazil blown it? -- The Economist

Those migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border? They’re southbound -- Linda Nazareth, Globe and Mail

Unusual Senate Hearing Leads To Testy Questions About NSA Cellphone Spying -- Warren Richey, Christian Science Monitor

A Small President on the World Stage -- Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 26, 2013

Soldiers take their position at the Westgate shopping center, on the fourth day since militants stormed into the mall, in Nairobi. (Noor Khamis/Reuters)

What Does the Nairobi Massacre Mean for Terror in Africa? -- Hilary Matfess, The Atlantic

This attack may suggest that Somalia and al-Shabaab are now the locus of global militant Islam.

The occupation of the upscale Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya by the militant group Al-Shabaab is now over, leaving at least 60 civilians dead. The standoff lasted for four days and is likely to boost the image of the militant group in the region. Here’s what you need to know about the group and what it means for Africa’s terrorism landscape:

What is al-Shabaab?

Al-Shabaab is a militant Islamic group based in Somalia, with the expressed intention of establishing a fundamentalist Islamic state in Somalia. Though group is affiliated with Al-Qaeda, it also represents a diversity of interests and cannot be considered a homogenous entity. Though many observers reported that the African Union’s campaign in Somalia had weakened the group, the recent attack on Westgate Mall suggests that the movement has gained an international following and remains a force to be reckoned with in the region.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Can Kenya prevent future attacks by Al Shabab? -- Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor

In Syria, we may be seeing a repetition of the Balkan tragedy -- Joschka Fischer, The Daily Star

Special Report: Hezbollah gambles all in Syria -- Samia Nakhoul, Reuters

Dealing with Iran: Get ready for a wild ride -- L.A. Times editorial

Iran nuke talks: The real deal or buying time? -- Oren Dorell, USA Today

Hassan Rouhani’s Jewish problem -- Max Fisher, Washington Post

Pushing Iraq Into Iran's Orbit -- Sarah Bertin, US News and World Report

China’s Leaders Ignore Dissent at their Peril -- Gordon G. Chang, World Affairs

Why China Will Disappoint the Pessimists Yet Again -- Jim O’Neill, Bloomberg

Fed Up In Bangladesh -- New York Times editorial

Venezuela food shortages: 'No one can explain why a rich country has no food' -- The Guardian

Why America Spies on Brazil -- Carlos Alberto Montaner, Real Clear World

Trouble at the core of U.S. foreign policy -- Washington Post editorial

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 25, 2013

REUTERS/Chip Somodevilla/Pool

Why Afghanistan Might Be NATO’s Last Fight -- David Francis, Fiscal Times

In Paris last month, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian announced that France plans to spend $251 billion on its military. This amount was not just for 2014; it was for the next five years, meaning that Paris only plans to spend about $50 billion on its armed forces each year, or about 1.3 percent of GDP, down from 1.9 percent this year.

As part of the reductions, France is cutting 34,000 troops from its ranks. Germany has also cut $10.7 billion out of its 2014 military budget, and recently announced that it would reduce the size of its military from 250,000 to 165,000, and ended conscription, a practice that had been around since the end of World War II.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

It’s Open Season On Christians In Syria And Across The Muslim World -- Matthew Fisher, National Post

Have Islamist jihadis declared world war? -- Tarek Fatah, Toronto Sun

Can Kenya's president use Westgate tragedy to avoid ICC trial? -- Fredrick Nzwili, Christian Science Monitor

Kenya’s suffering reflects its admirable action in Somalia -- Globe and Mail editorial

Africa's Obsession with Shopping Malls Al Shabab attacked the perfect symbol of Kenya's rise -- Eve Fairbanks, New Republic

Five Reasons Not to Trust Iran on Nukes -- Jeffrey Goldberg, Bloomberg

Iran's Rouhani caught between eager world at UN, worried hardliners at home -- Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor

How weapons inspectors try to get to the truth -- Alison Gee, BBC World Service

Iraq's Sunni-Shiite Killings: When It’s Based on a Name -- Mushreq Abbas for Al-Monitor

Sliding toward Damascus -- Jane Arraf, Miami Herald/Foreign Policy

Is Hamas Finished? Facing a Youth Rebellion and Egyptian, Iranian Hostility -- Juan Cole, Informed Comment

Israel on sidelines as world rushes to embrace Iran's Rouhani -- Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor

Is Brazil's Rousseff the new voice of Latin America? -- Stephen Kurczy, Christian Science Monitor

The U.S.-European Relationship, Then and Now -- George Friedman, Stratfor

The End of Poverty, Soon -- Jeffrey D. Sachs, New York Times

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 24, 2013

World Must Back Stability In Somalia -- President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Special to CNN

Editor’s note: Hassan Sheikh Mohamud is the president of Somalia. The views expressed are his own.

The deadly attack on the Westgate mall in Nairobi has reminded the world that terrorists don’t respect national borders, and people everywhere have a stake in stability and security in East Africa.

As my government marks its one-year anniversary as Somalia’s first democratically-elected administration in more than 20 years, we have made considerable progress, including driving the terrorist al-Shabaab network out of our capital, Mogadishu, and major cities and towns all around the country, as well as reforming our public financial management systems.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

The US is not a target of al-Shabaab -- Karen Greenberg, The Guardian

Group Responsible for Nairobi Terrorist Attack Could Target the West -- Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon

Nairobi mall attack strikes against all of us: Column -- Louise Branson, USA Today

Analysis: Kenya raid projects al Shabaab onto global jihadist stage -- Abdi Sheikh and Richard Lough, Reuters

Kenya mall attack: Is Al Shabab terror group desperate, or resurgent? -- Ariel Zirulnick, Christian Science Monitor

Kenya mall attack a 'brutal wake-up call' for expats in East Africa -- Mike Pflanz, Christian Science Monitor

Media Imbalance on the Nairobi & Peshawar Massacres -- Paul Austin Murphy, American Thinker

Will US get suckered in by Iran? -- Benny Avni, New York Post

Iran Finally Checkmates Obama -- Fouad Ajami, Real Clear Politics

Free Syrian Army Chief: 'Why Is the West Just Looking On?' -- Spiegel Online

Why it matters that Jews are standing on the Temple Mount -- Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor

Church bombings expose the war for Pakistan’s soul -- Tom Hussain, The National

Europe Declares the Welfare State Dead -- Chriss Street, American Thinker

For Germany, mum’s the word -- John Lloyd, Reuters

One Day in the Life of Pussy Riot: A jailed artist shines light on Russian prisons -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor

Brazil's controversial plan to extricate the internet from US control -- Amanda Holpuch, The Guardian

The Mistaken Focus on “Core Al-Qaeda” -- Max Boot, Commentary

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 23, 2013

Kenya: Westgate Terror Attack - Our 9/11 Moment -- John Walubengo, Africa.no/The Nation

It may sound too early and if not too insensitive to begin asking the hard questions.

But the earlier we confront the question of how effective our intelligence system is, the better our chances of avoiding the next terrorist attack. And I speak as a parent who cheated death by walking out of the Westgate Mall with my daughter - just barely fifteen minutes before the terror started unfolding.

Kenya has supposedly one of the most elaborate intelligence systems in the region. The National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) was established early in 1998 as a more professional outfit from the discredited and defunct Special Branch.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Nairobi mall attack strikes against all of us -- Louise Branson, USA Today

Making sense of the chaos in Kenya -- Nanjala Nyabola, Al Jazeera

Al-Shabaab Attack Fulfills Threat in Kenyan Support for Somalia -- Paul Richardson, Bloomberg

El Shabab and the Shopping Mall -- Richard Fernandez, Belmont Club/PJ Media

Iran: This time, the west must not turn its back on diplomacy -- Mohammad Khatami, The Guardian

Both Opportunity and Peril Over Iran -- David Ignatius, Real Clear Politics/Washington Post

In Syria, little is assured except the survival of Assad’s regime -- Alan Philps, The National

Is Hezbollah Looking for A Way Out of Syria? -- Elie Ferzli, al-Monitor

Could the Failure of the Oslo Process Doom Israel’s Friendship With Jordan? -- Assaf David, Tablet

CIS Leaders Uneasy About Volatile Afghan Border -- Ezekiel Pfeifer, The Moscow Times

The ‘Great Game’ will resume after US leaves Afghanistan -- Tom Hussain, The National

Nigeria’s Long Emergency -- Adewale Maja-Pearce, New York Times

A super result in Germany -- Khaleej Times

Germany: the Age of Merkel -- Guardian editorial

Merkel Delivers What Germans Want -- Charles Hawley, Spiegel Online

With Rousseff's Visit Canceled, Where Do U.S.-Brazil Relations Go from Here? -- José R. Cárdenas, Shadow Government/Foreign Policy

Escalating border disputes hurt Latin America -- Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 20, 2013

Assad Calm, Comfortable And Clearly Delusional In Fox News Interview -- Richard Grenell, FOX News

In one of the most fascinating foreign policy interviews of all time, Fox News aired an unedited, lengthy and exclusive interview with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad Wednesday.

The in-depth interview focused on diplomacy, chemical weapons, the death toll from the two-year-old war, the rebels’ goals, future governing and the region’s stability.

Assad appeared calm, comfortable and yet delusional, talking in almost perfect English, as he consistently labeled the rebels as “terrorists,” claiming that 80 - 90% of the opposition fighting against his military was comprised of Al Qaeda supporters and other jihadists.

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COMMENTARIES, OPINIONS, AND EDITORIALS

The sarin gas attack is just one Syrian atrocity the ICC should pursue -- Sarah Margon, The Guardian

Insight: Angered by chemical deal, Syrian rebels may lose the West -- Khaled Yacoub Owei, Reuters

An Unwinnable War? Syrian Government Says Its Ready for a Ceasefire -- Elliot Hannon, Slate

Is a Syrian cease-fire on the horizon? -- Jon Terbush, The Week

Diplomacy Imperils Washington’s Allies in Syria -- Jay Newton-Small, Time

How Obama arms al Qaeda -- Jeffrey T. Kuhner, Washington Times

A kinder, gentler Iran? -- Ray Takeyh, L.A. Times

Can Iran's President Rouhani deliver on his 'charm offensive'? -- James Norton, Christian Science Monitor

What’s Behind the New Iranian Charm Offensive -- Karl Vick, Time

Iran-US 'constructive engagement'? 5 things to watch for -- Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor

Forget Rouhani. Iran's hard-line Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei might actually be open to a nuclear deal with America. -- Patrick Clawson, Foreign Policy

Quick Turn of Fortunes as Diplomatic Options Open Up With Syria and Iran -- David Sanger, New York Times

Why Germans May Stick With Merkel’s Steady Hand -- James Kirchick, Bloomberg

Paranoia at the Top: Explaining Merkel's Final Days on the Stump -- Charles Hawley, Spiegel Online

The Two Faces of the U.S. Role in World Affairs -- Vasily Likhachev, Moscow Times

The real questions about Benghazi -- Kenneth R. Timmerman, Washington Times

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 19, 2013

Hopes Are High For Iran's 'Diplomatic Sheikh' On Eve Of UN Visit -- Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has preached a message of moderation and cooperation – a sharp departure from his predecessor, known for his anti-West tirades.

The first time Iran's former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, spoke at the United Nations, he believed that his fellow heads of state were rapt with attention.

"I felt that all of a sudden the atmosphere changed there, and for 27 to 28 minutes all the leaders did not blink," Mr. Ahmadinejad later told a cleric in a moment caught on video. He added that he had "become surrounded by light" during the speech.

"I am not exaggerating.... They were astonished, as if a hand held them there and made them sit," said Ahmadinejad. "It had opened their eyes and ears for the message of the Islamic Republic."

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Is Iran ready to deal on nukes? -- Terri S. Lodge and Matthew Wallin, Special to CNN

Russia Rolls Obama on Syria -- Again -- By Michael Weiss, Real Clear World/NOW

Diplomacy may make Bashar disposable -- Michael Young, The Daily Star

Let’s Be Honest About Israel’s Nukes -- Victor Gilinsky and Henry D. Sokolski, New York Times

Pakistan Must Beware Taliban Bearing Gifts -- The Diplomat

China's Persistent Support for the Six Party Talks -- Scott A. Snyder, The Atlantic

The boy who grew up in North Korea's labour camp 14 -- Stephen Applebaum, The Guardian

A wave of repression in China -- Washington Post editorial

Diplomatic tension over Hong Kong exposes fragility of hopes for democracy -- Greg Torode and James Pomfret, Reuters

How Germany's staid, go-slow chancellor is changing Europe forever. -- Paul Hockenos, Foreign Policy

Anti-Euro Party May Block Germany’s Merkel from Victory -- John Fund, National Review

Why Greece Is Not Weimar -- Roger Cohen, New York Times

One Year to Go: The Scottish Vote That Will Shape Britain's Future -- Michael Keating, Real Clear World

Senator John McCain: Russians deserve better than Putin -- Senator John McCain, Pravda

John McCain’s self-defeating Pravda op-ed can only help Putin -- Max Fisher, Washington Post

Commanders-in-Chief Should Command -- Max Boot, Commentary

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Commentaries, Opinons, And Editorials -- September 18, 2013

Will UN Vote Hold Syria Accountable? New Gridlock Same As The Old Gridlock. -- Howard Lafranchi, Christian Science Monitor

Security Council member France expresses dismay at the Russian charge that the UN weapons inspectors’ report on the use of sarin gas in Syria was biased.

Mirroring the split in the council that has prevented any UN action on Syria over the course of its 2-1/2-year-old civil war, Western powers and Russia are at loggerheads over what a resolution should say about the consequences for noncompliance with the plan to rid Syria of one of the world’s largest stockpiles of chemical weapons.

The speed bumps on the road to Security Council action only seemed to get higher Wednesday as Russia slammed a UN weapons inspectors’ report on Syria issued Monday, saying it was biased against the Syrian government – Moscow’s ally – and tainted by politics.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Chemical weapons and hard diplomacy -- Globe and Mail editorial

It is only the credible threat of force that has muscled Syria into a deal -- David Blair, The Telegraph

The president’s bait-and-switch on Syria will turn out badly for the U.S. -- Jonah Goldberg, National

Is The U.S. A Paper Tiger? -- Daily Star editorial

Trust Iran’s No Nuke Pledge? -- Michael Rubin, Commentary

The Sources of the Sino-American Spiral -- Jennifer Lind, National Interest

Is Africa really a drunken continent? -- Hannah Barnes, BBC News

Putin's New York Times Blunder -- Buck McKeon, Moscow Times

Top House Republican authors Moscow Times rebuttal to Putin op-ed -- Susan Ferrechio, Washington Examiner

Fraud and the City: Russia’s Manhattan Money Laundering -- Michael Daly, Daily Beast

The Loneliest Man in Greece -- Chanan Tigay, New Yorker

The Repentant Radical -- Michael Moynihan, The Daily Beast

The international system is still working — sort of. -- Richard Gwyn, Toronto Star

The United States and the Remaking of the Global Energy Economy -- Amy Myers Jaffe and Edward L. Morse, Foreign Affairs

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 17, 2013

Mission Impossible in Syria -- Michael J. Totten,World Affairs

I live near an enormous former stockpile of weapons of mass destruction. It isn’t walking distance from my house, but I can drive there between breakfast and lunch without exceeding the speed limit.

From 1962 to 2011, the US Army stored nearly four thousand tons of VX, Sarin, and HD blister agent (commonly known as mustard gas) at the Umatilla Chemical Depot along the Columbia River two and a half hours east of Portland, Oregon.

In 1993 the US signed a treaty forbidding the production, stockpiling, and use of chemical weapons, and eleven years later, in 2004, the Army was finally ready to begin destroying Oregon’s stockpile.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Who "won" Syria? -- Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Policy

The price of the Syria debacle -- Amir Taheri, New York Post

Calls to reform Security Council after its inability to act on Syria -- Maya Shwayder, Jerusalem Post

Even before Syria deal, Egypt was renewing its relationship with Russia -- Nancy A. Youssef, McClatchy News

Why Forfeit Leverage on Iran? -- Michael Rubin, Commentary

For Chinese, Violence in the Middle East Sparks Debate on Democracy, Stability -- Lotus Yuen, Teen Leaf Nation

India's Manmohan Singh’s losing battle with the markets -- Kevin Rafferty, Japan Times

Russia Is Back -- Ariel Cohen, National Interest

Merkel Says German Election Is Decision Time for Euro’s Future -- Tony Czuczka & Arne Delfs, Bloomberg

Going Nowhere: France Opts for Meek Reforms and Hope -- Mathieu von Rohr, Spiegel Online

Amid slow economic recovery, more Americans identify as 'lower class' -- Emily Alpert, McClatchy News/Los Angeles Times

Why did Aaron Alexis get a security clearance? -- Thomas Lifson, American Thinker

Rampage in Washington -- Baltimore Sun editorial

Arms inspection stalling, runaway healthcare costs, and why Snowden revealed himself -- Steven Brill, Reuters

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 16, 2013

President Obama. Reuters

Obama and Syria: Stumbling Toward Damascus -- Joe Klein, Time

The President’s uneven Syria response has damaged his office and weakened the nation. It’s time for one more pivot

On the eve of the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Barack Obama made the strongest possible case for the use of force against Bashar Assad’s Syrian regime. But it wasn’t a very strong case. Indeed, it was built on a false premise: “We can stop children from being gassed to death,” he said, after he summoned grisly images of kids writhing and foaming at the mouth and then dying on hospital floors. Does he really think we can do that with a limited military strike—or the rather tenuous course of diplomacy now being pursued? We might not be able to do it even if we sent in 250,000 troops and got rid of Assad. The gas could be transferred to terrorists, most likely Hizballah, before we would find all or even most of it. And that is the essence of the policy problem Obama has been wrestling with on Syria: when you explore the possibilities for intervention, any vaguely plausible action quickly reaches a dead end.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

From Cairo to Geneva, Obama steps back from Mideast -- David Rohde, Reuters

Chemical weapons deal changes Syrian equation: Our view -- USA editorial

New Syria Agreement Is a Big Victory. For Assad. -- Jeffrey Goldberg, Bloomberg

Russia Wants Seat Back at Mideast Table -- Steven Hurst, AP

Syria Could Still Blow Up in Putin's Face -- Shashank Joshi, Daily Telegraph

The United States' Islamist Allies of Convenience -- Brahma Chellaney, Moscow Times

The Elites Stumble on Syria -- Lee Bright, American Thinker

Two-State Illusion -- ian S. Lustick, New York Times

Sudden succession in Qatar -- S. Rob Sobhani, Washington Times

North Korea: To Talk or To Provoke? -- Duyeon Kim, The Diplomat

North Korea's Chemical Shop of Horrors -- J. Berkshire Miller, National Interest

Has The Insurgency In Egypt Already Begun? -- Sheera Frenkel, Buzz Feed

German voters should re-elect Angela Merkel as their chancellor—and Europe’s leader -- The Economist

Neither Putin nor Obama get it -- Gary Bauer, Washington Times

NSA, other government agencies should be more transparent -- Washington Post editorial

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 13, 2013

Putin and Assad Have Presented The West With An Impossible Ultimatum -- Michael Kelley, Business Insider

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told Russian news agency RIA Novosti that Syria will not fulfill a chemical weapons initiative unless the U.S. stops threatening to strike Syria and "ceases arms deliveries to terrorists."

The statement, no doubt coordinated with the Kremlin, attempts to put Washington (and France) in a bind: Either cancel any plans to potentially attack Syria, as well as arms shipments to rebels, or say goodbye to the diplomatic solution to the crisis.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Middle East reconfigured: Turkey vs. Iran vs. Saudi Arabia -- Soner Cagaptay and Parag Khanna, Special to CNN

An Israeli Strike on Iran Just Got More Likely -- Ben Birnbaum, New Republic

Israel, Syria and American Moral Hazard -- Leon Hadar, National Interest

Russia aims to hide its role in stockpiling Syria’s arsenal: Rogers -- Shaun Waterman, The Washington Times

How Obama can make Putin hurt -- Liz Peek, New York post

Is Putin a Journalist? -- James Taranto, wall Street Journal

Israelis, Palestinians reflect on the Oslo peace accords 20 years on -- L.A. Times

Saudi rulers are once again trying to exert their influence in the region -- The Economist

Saudis At Odds With U.S. Over Egypt -- Peter Kenyon, NPR

Who Will Be Left in Egypt? -- New York Times editorial

History Wars: A Long View of Asia’s Territorial Disputes -- Trefor Moss, The Diplomat

One Year On, Island Dispute Still Roils Japan And China -- Walter Russell Mead, American Interest

Don’t abandon Taiwan for better China ties -- Abraham Denmark and Tiffany Ma, Special to CNN

Bavaria Votes: Beer Hall King Could Help Merkel Win -- David Crossland, Spiegel Online

The War That Began in 2001 (and 1979) Continues -- Clifford May, Real Clear World

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 12, 2013

Putin Makes Obama Pay a High Price for Syria Escape -- Chris Stirewalt, FOX News

John Kerry can finally say he knows how Richard Nixon felt.

Kerry rose to power because of his leading role in the American antiwar movement of the 1970s. His testimony accusing, sometimes wrongly, American soldiers of atrocities in Vietnam launched a political career that took him to the Senate, the Democratic nomination for the presidency and, now, to the top post in President Obama’s cabinet.

Vladimir Putin rose to power because of his service in the KGB, which in the 1970s was trying to exploit and manipulate the American antiwar movement. We know that while Kerry and others on the left were comparing American troops to Genghis Kahn and throwing their medals away, the KGB was working overtime to infiltrate antiwar groups and overtly propagandizing with the same messages embraced by American liberals.

Kerry has certainly changed his tune. It would appear that Putin has not.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Point/Counterpoint: Examining key themes from Putin's opinion piece -- Jason Miks, CNN

'The Big If': Ending bloodshed in Syria -- Leila Hilal, Special to CNN

Viewpoints: Can Russia’s chemical weapons plan for Syria work? -- BBC

Dealing with Syria's chemical weapons easier said than done -- Patrick Martin, The Globe and Mail

The West’s cowardice and inaction on Syria will lead to blowback -- Terry Glavin, Ottawa Citizen

Moscow saves Assad’s bacon, for now -- Michael Young, Daily Star

Twenty years on, Oslo failures haunt new Middle East talks -- Noah Browning, Reuters

U.S. Backing of Russian Plan Leaves a Wary Israel Focusing on Self-Reliance -- Jodi Rudoren, New York Times

Netanyahu's remarks on Iran: a cheap shot at Obama -- Alon Pinkas, Haaretz

Stop Blaming Colonial Borders for the Middle East's Problems -- Nick Danforth, The Atlantic

12 years after 9/11, Afghanistan focus changing: Column -- Joseph F. Dunford, USA Today

Separatist clashes in Philippines could renew insurgency -- Whitney Eulich, Christian Science Monitor

North Korea nuclear reactor restart: Why it's a big deal. -- Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor

After the Islamists: Fearing for the Future in Northern Mali -- Bartholomäus Grill, Spiegel Online

U.S., Europe have more work to do in Libya -- Washington Post editorial

Catalan Separatists Pull Off Protest But Referendum Is Harder -- Matt Moffett, Wall Street Journal

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 11, 2013

Will Syria Be the Next Iraq? -- James Taranto, Wall Street Journal

"A nearly immediate impasse over a United Nations resolution on removing Syria's chemical weapons sent American, British and French diplomats into a huddle on Tuesday, as they sought to craft a version stern enough to ensure Syrian compliance without spurring a Russian veto," The Wall Street Journal reports.

At issue is whether the Security Council will invoke its authority under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, "a clause that allows U.N. member states to use all possible means, including military action, to enforce a resolution." Russia is balking at that prospect, whereas an unnamed French official "said Paris considered Chapter 7 a nonnegotiable part of the draft resolution." The U.S. position is that "it could strike Syria without a Security Council resolution."

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Is Russia toying with US? Missile sale to Iran raises question -- Fred Weir, Christian Science Monitor

Is the White House lying about how the Russian Syria proposal originated? -- Rick Moran, American Thinker

President Obama's Syria Confusion -- Rajan Menon, Real Clear World

Eye on Sinai -- Jerusalem Post editorial

Shhhh! It’s the anniversary of the Benghazi attack -- Dan Gainor, FOX News

On Anniversary Of Benghazi Attack, Libya Still Struggles -- Krishnadev Calamur, NPR

Since Benghazi attack, Libya worse off, families in lurch -- Mathieu Galtier and Jabeen Bhatti , Special for USA TODAY

Why gunmen have turned off Libya's oil taps -- Rana Jawad, BBC

Zimbabwe: Mugabe loads new cabinet with hardliners -- Aislinn Laing, Christian Science Monitor

India: Where did the great dream go? -- Amrit Dhillon, The Age

Ominous Clouds Over Afghanistan -- Najmuddin A. Shaikh, DAWN

Surreal Afghanistan boardwalk fading into memory as U.S. troops withdraw -- Jay Price, McClatchy

Japan awakes but nightmare is real -- Peter Hartcher, Sydney Morning Herald

Berlusconi Holds Italy for Ransom -- Fabian Reinbold, Spiegel Online

Face of US poverty: These days, more poor live in suburbs than in cities -- Richard Mertens, Christian Science Monitor

The American Public's Foreign-Policy Reawakening -- Robert W. Merry, National Interest

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 10, 2013

Russia’s Syria Calculus: Behind Moscow’s Plan to Avert U.S. Missile Strikes -- Simon Shuster, Time

The notion of Syria giving up its chemical weapons, or at least putting them under foreign control, has long been on the table in the consultations between Syrian President Bashar Assad‘s government and his allies in Moscow. In the course of the civil war that has been raging in Syria for more than two years, “we discussed this possibility many times from many different angles,” says Russian diplomat Andrei Klimov. But it was only in the last week that both Russia and Syria realized that it was in both of their best interests.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Impromptu or scripted, Syria plan lets Russia play the peacemaker -- Timothy Heritage and Gabriela Baczynska, Reuters

The Syria Solution: Obama Got Played by Putin and Assad -- Julia Ioffe, New Republic

Russia’s Absurd Proposal on Syria’s Weapons -- Max Boot, Commentary

Syrian Conflict Goes Back 13 Centuries -- Dmitry Chen, Bloomberg

Making Sense of Syria -- Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal

Blocking action on Syria makes an attack on Iran more likely -- Dennis Ross, Washington Post

Obama’s dithering frustrates Israelis -- Vivian Bercovic, Toronto Star

What Pakistan’s Release of the Afghan Taliban’s No. 2 Means for Peace -- Omar Waraich, Time

Japan's Nuclear Migraine: A Never-Ending Disaster at Fukushima -- Von Marco Evers, Spiegel Online

China Embraces 'British Model', Ditching Mao for Edmund Burke -- The Telegraph

Is the Rule of Law Coming to China? -- Chun Peng, The Diplomat

How China Sees the South China Sea -- James R. Holmes, The Diplomat

Reinvention Time for Australia’s Abbott -- Bloomberg editorial

Mexico’s New Drug War: Catch and Release? -- Patrick Radden Keefe, New Yorker

NSA Revelations Cast Doubt on the Entire Tech Industry -- David Kravets and Robert McMillan, Threat Level

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- September 9, 2013

Russia's New Syria Plan Could Turn 'Quagmire Into An Easy Win' -- Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor

Russia has seized on an offhand comment by US Secretary of State John Kerry and is proposing a plan to destroy Syria's chemical weapons. Syria is onboard, but the US is skeptical.

In a surprising turnabout on Monday, Syria welcomed a Russian plan to turn its chemical weapons over to the international community for destruction. The US said it would take a hard look at the idea, first floated by Secretary of State John Kerry in an offhand comment.

The swift moves raised the possibility that the Syria crisis could be resolved via diplomacy. But the international situation was fluid and it remained possible the nascent plan could fall apart.

The US would look at the proposal with “serious skepticism,” said State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, because Syria had consistently refused to destroy its chemical weapons in the past.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Obama's Successful Foreign Failure -- Norman Podhoretz, Wall Street Journal

Syrian slapstick -- Conrad Black, National Post

Five reasons not to attack Syria, and one elegant solution -- Doyle McManus, L.A. Times

Is Israel pushing for a strike on Syria? -- Christa Case Bryant, Christian Science Monitor

Syria crisis: The teetering balance of power has whole region on edge -- Patrick Cockburn, The Independent

Merkel Weakened by Blunder in Syria Debate -- Spiegel Online

Iran: Rouhani’s New Year -- Roger Cohen, New York Times

India Will Never Become a Superpower -- Lawrence Saez, Real Clear World

How China Reads North Korea -- Joel Wuthnow, National Interest

North Korea: Reality vs. The World According to Dennis Rodman -- Josh Levs, CNN

To Ease Pakistan Violence, Turn on the Lights -- Michael Kugelman, Bloomberg

Tony Abbott's plan for Australia -- Samantha maiden, Sunday Herald Sun

Mugabe’s legacy -- Bradley Crawford, National Post

Putin Is the Real Loser of Moscow Vote -- Matthias Schepp, Spiegel Online

Will Congress Save America from Syria? -- Andrew Bacevich, Real Clear World/Tom Dispatch

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