Today's Headlines and Commentary

The former military commander of the Columbian FARC guerilla group that ceased operations after signing a peace agreement in 2017, called for a return to war and alleged that the government had violated the deal, reports the New York Times.

The U.S.’s top diplomat for Venezuela says there has been no indication that Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro is willing to leave office as part of negotiations, says the Wall Street Journal.

Iran’s political leadership has come to believe that negotiations with President Donald Trump are unavoidable, details the Times.

The current U.S.-Taliban negotiations over withdrawing troops from Afghanistan and the future role of the Taliban in the Afghan political system are coming to a head as presidential elections in the country are about a month away, the Times analyzes.

The Times reports that China has sent new soldiers into Hong Kong in what it calls “an annual normal routine action,” and the Journal reports that Hong Kong’s police have arrested at least three activists ahead of this weekend’s expected protests. The police also banned a planned rally at the China Liaison’s office, acccording to the Journal.

The Chinese government banned Wall Street Journal reporter Chun Han Wong after he published unfavorable coverage of financial activities by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s cousin in Australia, details the Washington Post.

Federal prosecutors are probing new areas of possible technology theft by Chinese telecom giant Huawei, reports the Journal.

ICYMI: Yesterday on Lawfare

Benjamin Wittes analyzed the Justice Department inspector general’s report on former FBI director Jim Comey’s release of memos he wrote about interactions with President Trump, while Quinta Jurecic posted the report.

Rachel Brown and Preston Lim published the latest SinoTech which covers Twitter’s blocking of Chinese troll accounts that targeted the Hong Kong protests.

Peter Margulies assessed the impact of ending the so-called Flores settlement about detention of immigrant children.

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