Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 16, 2017

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a ceremony ahead of their talks at the Kremlin on October 5, 2017. Photo: Sputnik via Reuters

David P. Goldman, Asia Times: Russia emerging as new player in Middle East balance of power

Moscow's sale of a better defense system to the Saudis than to its "ally" Iran is consistent with the pattern of its attempts to influence outcomes in the region, writes Spengler

Remarkably little comment attended the strangest outcome of Saudi King Salman’s four-day visit to Moscow in early October, namely Russia’s sale of its top-of-the-line S-400 air defense system to a country whose relations with Russia have been hostile until recently. It was strange because Iran, habitually characterized as Russia’s “ally” in Western media, was permitted to purchase a much older and inferior Russian system, the S-300.

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Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- October 16, 2017

Russia’s S-400 missile system: A new Middle East invasion -- Stephen Bryen, Asia Times

The Trump Administration Just Stabbed the Kurds in the Front -- Michael J. Totten, World Affairs

Trump's Neutrality Only Deepens the Kurdish Crisis -- Eli Lake, Bloomberg

Procrastination Hasn't Solved Dispute Over Kirkuk -- Noah Feldman, Bloomberg

Iran currency run unravels stability -- Gary Kleiman, Asia Times

The Coming Confrontation Between Israel and Iran -- Elliot Abrams, The Atlantic

In Africa, Jihadists See a Chance to Expand -- Allison Fedirka, Geopolitical Futures

Great Power Competition Is Back in Africa. Could the U.S. and Others Collide? -- Steven Metz, WPR

Nigeria’s Next Security Threat -- Ayo Awokoya, Raddington Report

Germany and France push harder line on Brexit talks -- Jacopo Barigazzi and Maïa de La Baume, Politico.eu

Donbas war will be won by force of example, not arms -- Mark Galeotti, European Council on Foreign Relations

A right-wing coalition in Austria threatens the EU -- Bernd Riegert, DW

Where's the EU in the Catalonia Crisis? -- Susi Dennison, New York Times

Haiti, the UN and the unintended effects of a peace mission -- Jan D. Walter, DW

The Demise of Dollar Diplomacy? -- Barry Eichengreen, Project Syndicate

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