Grading Obama’s Middle East Strategy (Sensibly): Part I
... chose not to agree to allow a U.S. residual non-combat force to stay and train/support Iraqi forces when Maliki would not grant them immunity. Nothing to complain about here, and I agree that a residual force would have been better but that is 100% on Maliki not granting immunity and having already committed to his Iranian allies that he would see our troops out in 2011. We will come to ISIS (and Obama’s mild military reengagement in Iraq) and Syria as separate issues. Israeli/Palestinian Peace Here, one may be tempted to make more of the efforts of the Obama Administration than they actually represent, but at the same time we should not minimize them. To be sure, Obama has publicly and in speeches, beginning especially ...