Today's Headlines and Commentary

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres that Russia will decide future of the Assad government in Syria and that the U.S. will focus on defeating terrorist threats rather than pursuing regime change, Foreign Policy reports. Less than three months ago, Tillerson said Assad would need to leave power following his use of chemical weapons, which was a change from the position he had taken in March.

Officials say another delay in a House vote on the Russia sanctions bill could lead to its dilution, The Wall Street Journal reports. Even though the Senate fixed an initial technical issue with the bill and sent it back to the House, Congress is now in recess until next week, and a vote on the bill has not been scheduled. Some lawmakers have raised concerns over the contents of the proposal, which among other things, requires Congressional approval for changes to the Russia sanctions regime.

U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have nearly contained the northern Syrian town of Raqqa, a former Islamic State stronghold, The New York Times reports. The forces will soon encircle the 2,500 militants who remain in the city, though the continued presence of about 50,000 civilians may complicate the capture. The victory would further accelerate the decline of the Islamic State, which has been rapidly losing the territory of its self-declared caliphate. Iraqi forces have nearly retaken the Iraqi city of Mosul. The Journal reports on the unlikely successes of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, and the UAE extended the deadline for Qatar’s response to their thirteen demands, the Journal reports. They now expect a reply by Wednesday. Qatar will likely reject the ultimatum, threatening to deepen a diplomatic crisis that has sparked tension across the region. The four Gulf Cooperation Council member-states cut ties with fellow member Qatar amid accusations of support for terrorism. Kuwait, the sixth member, has attempted to mediate, as has U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Mohammed bin Salman, the new Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, is taking steps to crack down on activists, critics, and his predecessor, Mohammed bin Nayef, the Journal reports. Officials have said that he seeks to curb potential dissent. The succession surprise has worried some U.S. officials, who viewed the now-deposed bin Nayef as a steady hand on security matters.

Donald Trump called both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to discuss possible cooperation to address the North Korean threat, the Times reports. Trump recently angered Xi with actions that included arms sales to Taiwan, threats of trade action against China, accusations of human rights abuses, and naval operations in contested waters in the South China Sea. Analysts say Xi’s willingness to take the call shows that coordination on policy toward North Korea is still possible.

The 10-year prison sentence that the Vietnamese government handed down to popular blogger and activist “Mother Mushroom” is bringing attention to the government’s fight against social media-enabled activism and dissent, the Times reports. Many others have faced government intimidation for their political views in the authoritarian system. Even so, support for online activism has been growing, especially through Facebook.

Justice Anthony Kennedy has told clerkship applicants for the 2018 term that he is considering retiring, reports NPR. This comes after last month’s speculation that he would announce his retirement at the end of the most recent term. Kennedy is widely viewed as a swing vote on some of the most divisive legal issues that come before the Court.

The political situation in Venezuela continues to deteriorate, with crime on the rise, basic goods and services scarce and unaffordable, and protesters demonstrating against the government of Nicolas Maduro, Bloomberg reports. Nearly 80 people have died in clashes between government forces and demonstrators that broke out three months ago.

ICYMI: This weekend, on Lawfare

Jane Chong provided a deep analysis of the Foreign Emoluments Clause and how the Justice Department’s recent position contradicts the historical position of the Office of Legal Counsel.

Prachi Vyas analyzed the frequent overlap of American jihadists’ enthusiasm for ideologies of the Islamic State al-Qaeda’s ideology, even though the two groups are typically viewed as being in conflict with each other.

Peter Margulies argued that the State Department should accept formal assurances from experienced refugee agencies as “bona fide” relationships under the Supreme Court’s recent travel ban litigation decision.

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