Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 21, 2015

Martin Chulov, The Guardian: Ramadi and Palmyra: 'Whoever didn’t make it out was killed later on by Isis'

Terror group faced little resistance from local forces in Iraq and Syria, prompting re-evaluations across a region that had sensed it might be in retreat

Islamic State fighters are celebrating their second major conquest in a week in Syria and Iraq as they pick through the ruins of the historic city of Palmyra.

The sudden advance of the militants into the UN heritage site in central Syria resulted in the rout of a national army, the exodus of refugees and a fresh pulse of regional alarm at the resilience of the self-styled caliphate force.

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- May 21, 2015

Is Fall of Palmyra a Strategic Loss for Syria? -- Heather Murdock, VOA

Could Palmyra Be a Turning Point for Syria? -- Marc Champion, Bloomberg

Will ISIS Wreck Ruin-Rich Palmyra? -- James Romm, Daily Beast

Inside Palmyra, the Ancient City ISIS Just Sacked --Michael Weiss, Daily Beast

Islamic State's War on Art Turns a Profit -- Erin L. Thompson, Bloomberg

Iran Isn’t Budging. Will Obama? -- Jonathan S. Tobin, Commentary

How Obama Alienated the Arab World and Destroyed US Credibility -- Deroy Murdock, Algemeiner

Relying on the U.S. for security is a mistake -- Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Al Arabiya

Israel silent while Hamas digs tunnels -- Shlomi Eldar, Middle East Monitor

Beijing Won’t Back Down -- Peter Neville-Hadley, WSJ

Beware China's Grand Strategy -- Jeff M. Smith, Foreign Affairs

A Net Assessment of the World -- George Friedman, Stratfor

Europe Remains Far From Recovery -- David McHugh, RCW

Nazis Triumph Over Communists in Ukraine -- Leonid Bershidsky, Bloomberg

Obama Insists It’s ‘Not a New Cold War,’ But It Sure Looks Like One -- Noah Rothman, Commentary

Russia Strikes Back at Europe's Energy Games -- Kristine Berzina, RCW

How Somalia’s Al Shabaab Turned Against Its Own Foreign Fighters -- Jeremy Scahill, The Intercept

Bin Laden's Surprising Taste in Literature -- Adam Chandler, The Atlantic

We're getting to know just how different ISIS is from al Qaeda -- Natasha Bertrand, business Insider