I wish a lot more Americans were thinking about this. At War Is Boring Maj. Danny Sjursen questions the established orthodoxy in considering what we’re doing in the Middle East:
The United States is in many ways little more than an air force, military trainer and weapons depot for assorted Sunni despots. Now, that’s not a point made too often — not in this context anyway — because it’s neither a comfortable thought for most Americans, nor a particularly convenient reality for establishment policymakers to broadcast, but it’s the truth.
Yes, we do fight ISIS, but it’s hardly that simple. Saudi Arabia, our main regional ally, may portray itself as the leader of a “moderate Sunni block†when it comes to both Iran and terrorism, but the reality is, at best, far grayer than that. The Saudis — with whom Pres. Donald Trump announced a $110-billion arms deal during the first stop on his inaugural foreign trip back in May — have spent the last few decades spreading their intolerant brand of Islam across the region. In the process, they’ve also supported Al Qaeda-linked groups in Syria.
Maybe you’re willing to argue that Al Qaeda spin-offs aren’t ISIS, but don’t forget who brought down those towers in New York. While Trump enjoyed a traditional sword dance with his Saudi hosts — no doubt gratifying his martial tastes — the air forces of the Saudis and their Gulf state allies were bombing Yemeni civilians into the grimmest of situations, including a massive famine and a spreading cholera epidemic amid the ruins of their impoverished country.
Our wars in the Middle East are illegal and immoral, they aren’t in our interests, and they certainly aren’t in the interests of the people of the Middle East. We continue them for domestic political reasons, because some people profit mightily from them, and inertia. We could accomplish our legitimate goals in the Middle East at a much lower cost by legal and moral means. It’s long past time for a change.
+1
Hear, hear!