Robert Ellis, The Independent: Turkey's sabre-rattling at the Syrian border means the prospect of peace is more distant than ever
If Erdogan intervenes in this complex conflict, he'll take his country down with him
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s assessment of the situation in Syria as “complicated” must be the understatement of the year: it is three-dimensional chess with nine players and no rules, as one US strategic analyst said.
The latest ray of light - the accord reached by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) last week in Munich, looks to be extinguished by Russia’s bombing of hospitals and schools in northern Syria, causing dozens of civilian casualties. The cornerstone of the accord is UN Security Council Resolution 2254 of 18 December 2015, which also demands that all parties immediately cease attacks against all civilian objects, including medical facilities and personnel.
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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- February 19, 2016
Kurds Warn Turkey of ‘Big War’ With Russia If Troops Enter Syria -- Henry Meyer and Stepan Kravchenko, Bloomberg
When it comes to Russia, it’s Munich all over again – again -- Lucian Kim, Reuters
Why the managed transition after Yemen’s uprising led to war -- Stacey Philbrick Yadav, Washington Post
Iran's economic puppeteers -- Thomas Kohlmann, DW
Ode to Autocracy: Viral Poem Highlights Cult of China’s Leader -- Hannah Beech, Time
China's true economic growth rate -- Salvatore Babones, Al Jazeera
4 Trends That Will Define the South China Sea -- Andrew Poulin, Real Clear Defense
New Players, Old Tensions Reconfigure Spain’s Politics -- Omar G. Encarnación, WPR
The Pope's Other Bombshell -- Bloomberg editorial
Obama and Asia's Autocrats (Video) -- Real Clear World
An American President in Cuba -- New York Times editorial
The Great Republican Stalemate -- Molly Ball, The Atlantic
I don’t like fighting with the pope, said Donald Trump. And we believe him -- Marina Hyde, The Guardian
Analysis Timing is everything -- and Hillary Clinton's timing is awful -- Cathleen Decker, L.A. Times
Despite Stillborn Deal, Saudi-Russian Petrodiplomacy Could Reshape The Future Of Oil -- David A. Weinberg, Forbes