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The U.S. Is Underengaged in the Middle East
(Der Spiegel-Germany) Interview with Vali Nasr - Circumstances have changed. In 2009, President Obama thought that the most important issue in the region was the Arab-Israeli issue. It now has to compete with some other very important crises there. American interests abroad do not take a holiday because you are having an economic problem. We end up with this false assumption that we can selectively pay attention to the Middle East when it suits us, or when our pockets are full of money. We know from experience that we do have vital interests there. This is not just about energy. Can the United States afford a broken Egypt and a shattered Syria? Can Asia itself be successful if the Middle East begins to melt down? What will happen to Europe if North Africa ends up being a series of failed states with al-Qaeda across the border? We have gone from a period of being overengaged in the Middle East to being now underengaged. Vali Nasr is dean of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in Washington.