Uncommon Commentary from Agence Global 8/6

Could Russia Be Right About Syria?   by Vadim Nikitin
No one likes to see the Russian strongman be right about something. But when a botoxed, authoritarian KGB veteran starts to look like the biggest dove in the room, it’s time for the West to seriously reconsider its stance on Damascus.
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Should Syria Collapse or Decentralize?   by Rami G. Khouri
In many ways, current events in Syria are a delayed correction to the largely imposed Arab state order that emerged a century ago. There may be a third way between police state and fragmented statelets – a way defined by citizens.
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The LIBOR Scandal: Why Is It Scandalous?   by Immanuel Wallerstein
To call the LIBOR manipulations a scandal is to draw our attention away from the fact that it is simply one more normal way of accumulating capital. Will this ever change? Yes, of course. One day the system will be no more.
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The Kurds Stir the Regional Pot   by Patrick Seale
A major factor of instability has been added to an already volatile region: The Kurdish pot is simmering. If it boils over, it risks scalding everyone within reach.
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The Global Circle of Criminals and Lawlessness Keeps Expanding   by Rami G. Khouri
The Al Qaeda-Salafi resurgence is partly a consequence of unsettled political conditions and pockets of governance vacuums, but it is much more than an opportunistic filling of spaces created by instability.
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Two Men Who Define the Arab Moment of Change   by Rami G. Khouri
The glamorous Manaf Tlas lacks legitimacy, and the legitimate Hisham Kandil lacks glamour. There is no doubt in my mind -- and I suspect hundreds of millions of other Arabs -- that most Arabs would rather have Kandil than Tlas run their government
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WikiLeaks Colombia: Gossip and Counterinsurgency   by Carlos Eduardo Huertas (The Nation)
From trivial matters to border tension with Hugo Chávez, Cablegate was a mixed bag of revelations for Colombians.
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With Aurora, Another Mass Killing Shocks America. Why?   by Gary Younge (The Nation)
James Holmes’s rampage was horrifying, but it was not unfathomable.
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The Disheartening Legacies of Iraq and Syria   by Rami G. Khouri
Syria and Iraq and their Baathist legacies are an ugly tale of wasted talent, missed opportunities, criminal leadership and unachieved national potential.
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The Destruction of Syria   by Patrick Seale
There can be no military solution to the Syrian crisis. The only way out of the current nightmare is a ceasefire imposed on both sides, followed by a negotiation and the formation of a national government to oversee a transition.
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