May 16, 2018

Weekly World News Update

North Korea Talks; Israel-Palestine Conflict; Iraq's New PM; Rohingya Crisis; Burundi Votes

Quote of the Week

"If the U.S. is trying to drive us into a corner to force our unilateral nuclear abandonment we will no longer be interested in such dialogue and cannot but reconsider our proceeding to the DPRK-U.S. summit."

-- Kim Kye Gwan, North Korean Vice Foreign Minister, in a Tuesday statement about the upcoming June talks with the U.S.

North Korea Gets Cold Feet

"White House Brushes Aside North Korea's Threats to Cancel Summit with Trump" Mark Landler; Choe Sang-Hun; Jane Perlez -- The New York Times, May 16, 2018

"Deciphering Kim Jong Un's Motives" Michael Green -- Foreign Affairs, May 16, 2018

"A Step-By-Step Plan for Denuclearizing North Korea" Michael O'Hanlon -- The National Interest

Israel-Palestine Conflict Hits Inflection Point

"Celebration in Jerusalem, Bloodshed in Gaza" Emma Green -- The Atlantic, May 14, 2018

"Israel Has the Right and Obligation to Defend Its Border with Deadly Force" David French -- National Review, May 15, 2018

"The Spirit of Palestinian Resistance Will Not Be Broken" Omar Baddar -- Al Jazeera, May 15, 2018

"The Damage Done in Jerusalem" Steven A. Cook -- Council on Foreign Relations, May 15, 2018

"Jerusalem Protests: Violence in the Vacuum" Hugh Lovatt -- European Council on Foreign Relations, May 15, 2018

Iraq's New Prime Minister

"Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Discusses Election Results" Mary Louise Kelly and Zalmay Khalilzad -- NPR, May 15, 2018 [Podcast]

"The Time to Stop Bankrolling the Iraqi Military Is Now" Jason C. Ditz -- The American Conservative, May 15, 2018

"Iraq's Election: A Key Event in America's Wars" Anthony H. Cordesman and Munqith Dagher -- Center for Strategic and International Studies, May 14, 2018

Checking In on Rohingya Crisis

"As Obama Eased Myanmar Sanctions, Some Saw Warnings of a Massacre" Priyanka Boghani -- PBS Frontline, May 10, 2018

"Aung San Suu Kyi Is a Politician, Not a Monster" Peter A Coclanis -- Foreign Policy, May 14, 2018

"Process as Well as Substance Is Important in ICC's Rohingya Decision" Alex Whiting -- Just Security, May 15, 2018

Burundi Votes on New Constitution

"Burundi Votes Tomorrow on Controversial Constitutional Amendments. A Lot Is at Stake" Yolande Bouka and Sarah Jackson -- The Washington Post, May 16, 2018

"Burundi Referendum to Extend Presidential Term Raises Fears of Violence" Cristina Krippahl -- Deutsche Welle, May 16, 2018