| | | | Who's to Blame for the Saudi Attacks? | | While observers wonder who's responsible for the recent Saudi oil attacks, The Washington Post blames President Trump's approach to the Middle East, writing in an editorial that Trump instigated the crisis with a pressure campaign against Iran that he seems unable to control.
Writing for The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Michael Knights concludes that if Iran is to blame, that wouldn't just pose a problem for Saudi Arabia and the US—but for "the entire global energy community"—while Foreign Policy's Steven A. Cook reminds us that an oil-driven alliance with Saudi Arabia drew America into the Middle East to begin with. If the US concludes it's not willing to respond, it probably has no business in the region, Cook writes. | | West Bank Annexation: A Fait Accompli? | | | With Israelis voting today, Palestinian lawyer Raja Shehadeh writes for The New York Times that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu carries out his promise to annex part of the West Bank, little will change. Annexation would only formalize what's currently in place—Israeli control, rights for settlers, and Palestinians living with it, Shehadeh argues. Everyone knows Israel could do this if it wanted to, Shehadeh writes, even if it would spell the end of the two-state solution. | | Is Far-Right Populism Almost Over? | | | Writing for Bloomberg, Michael R. Strain suggests it is. According to a 2016 paper by academics from the Universities of Berlin, Bonn, and Munich—which examined 20 advanced economies from 1870-2014 and found that far-right parties see a 30% spike in support after financial crises—post-crash, far-right surges only last about 10 years, Strain points out.
Given that we're 10 years removed from the 2008-9 crash, the far-right may soon fade. That said, Strain writes, the Great Recession lasted longer for some than for others, so it's unclear when the purported 10-year clock really started. | | China, the New Internet Rule-Maker | | | While the US and Europe offer different models for regulating the Internet and tech companies, China is quietly advancing its own laws and setting that global agenda, Andrew Grotto and Martin Schallbruch write for Foreign Policy. The US and Europe need to set aside their disagreements and work together to shape this landscape, they conclude. In another instance of growing Chinese leadership, Kristine Lee writes for Foreign Affairs that as the US has withdrawn from UN bodies like UNESCO and the Human Rights Council, China has stepped in, contributing money and staff to UN arms. China once focused on blocking West's agenda at the UN, Lee writes, but now it seeks to advance its authoritarian values proactively. | | The War on Terror Turns 18 | | "Later this year," Daniel Byman writes for West Point's monthly counterterrorism publication, the CTC Sentinel, "a US service member is likely to be deployed to Afghanistan who was not yet born on September 11, 2001." After 18 years of fighting, Byman offers a mixed assessment of how things are going for the US and for global jihad.
Al Qaeda and ISIS have been decimated, but their ideology is more widespread than ever, Byman writes. They're unlikely to find a haven like Syria in the future, but jihadis have made inroads in new places like West Africa, and governance gaps in the Middle East offer opportunity. Far-reaching attacks are less likely today, but jihadis are enjoying new kinds of local and regional success, Byman concludes. | | | | | | |
