Max Fisher has written a somewhat long, but nonetheless provocative, essay on the reasons why the US invaded Iraq in March of 2003. The occasion for the essay is the current controversy within the Republican Party over charges made by Donald Trump that the Iraq war was a terrible mistake. Fisher argues that Trump and those who defend the war place too much emphasis on the issue of whether there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Fisher argues, with a great deal of evidence, that the war was fought for ideological reasons and was in many respects predetermined.
China has apparently deployed anti-aircraft missiles on Woody Island, part of the Paracels Islands group in the South China Sea. The move signals an escalation of Chinese moves to claim the island group as part of its national territory. According to NBC News: “China has said it would not seek militarization of its South China Sea islands and reefs, but that did not mean it would not set up defenses.” Once again, we see the Security Dilemma in action: China considers its actions as purely defensive; other states could plausibly argue that the action was offensive. The US has not yet responded to the move.
Woody Island as seen in Google Maps
A car bomb exploded in the Turkish capital of Ankara, killing 28 people and wounding many more. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the two most likely sources of the bomb are either the Kurdish PKK or Daesh (the Islamic State): both groups have reason to attack the Turkish state. We will have to wait for further evidence to determine the culprits. But the attack will undoubtedly trigger a harsh Turkish response, and the Turks will likely decide who it is that is most convenient for them to blame.
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