Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 8, 2019

SYRIAN DEMOCRATIC FORCES and US troops are seen during a patrol near Turkish border in Hasakah, Syria, in November.. (photo credit: RODI SAID / REUTERS)

Seth J. Frantzman, Jerusalem Post: What happens after US withdrawal from Syria?

Anti-ISIS coalition meets in Washington amid shadow of uncertainty.

WASHINGTON – Six weeks after US President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, the US-led coalition of 79 partner countries and organizations gathered in Washington on Thursday to assess the fight against ISIS and the situation in eastern Syria.

At the meeting, held the day after his State of the Union address, Trump praised the Coalition’s partners and the Syrian Democratic Forces for liberating “virtually all the territory previously held by ISIS.”

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 8, 2019

Does Trump Have a Middle East Grand Strategy? -- Nadana Fridrikhson, National Interest

Turkey faces serious odds in Manbij and Idlib -- Semih Idiz, Al-Monitor

Will Iraq ask US troops to leave the country? -- Ali Mamouri, Al Monitor

Who Controls What in Syria? -- VOA

Russian arms flood Southeast Asia -- Matt Bartlett, The Interpreter

How the South Korean experience mirrors Japan’s -- Joon Young Kwon, Asia Times

South Korea Becomes a Testing Ground for Trump’s Grievances With Allies -- Uri Friedman, The Atlantic

Princess versus dictator at Thai polls -- Shawn W. Crispin, Asia Times

Don’t Trust the Taliban’s Promises -- Husain Haqqani, Foreign Policy

Don’t Let China Take the World Hostage -- Hal Brands, Bloomberg View

What Is Xi Jinping Thought? -- Steve Tsang, Project Syndicate

German CDU chief: Europe must adapt to survive -- Politico.eu

Two Ways the Venezuelan Crisis Might End -- John Turner, Defense One

The Future of Arms Control is Global: Reconsidering Nuclear Issues in the Indo-Pacific -- Andy Weber and Christine Parthemore, War On The Rocks

Nuclear pacts fail. So what’s the point? -- Jill Aitoro, Defense News

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