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Trump's Mideast Strategy
(Wall Street Journal) Walter Russell Mead - Public support for U.S. military action and democracy promotion in the Middle East has all but collapsed. Decades of engagement in the region have brought neither stability nor democracy. Moreover, as America's dependence on Middle East energy recedes, many voters see less reason to prioritize the region. Yet while U.S. relations with the Sunni Arab powers, Israel and Turkey are sometimes difficult, a policy based on continued cooperation with them is more feasible than subordinating their interests to chase after an improved relationship with the deeply hostile regime in Tehran. However, getting Turkey and Israel to work together is a hard sell. The Sunni Arab powers and the Israelis are working together more effectively than ever before because the threat from Iran is so great; unfortunately, the Saudis and Israelis hate and fear Turkish President Erdogan almost as much as they do Tehran's ayatollahs. The writer is professor of foreign affairs and humanities at Bard College.