- California Assembly OKs highest minimum wage in nation
- S. Korea unveils first graphic cigarette warnings
- US joins with South Korea, Japan in bid to deter North Korea
- LPGA golfer Chun In-gee finally back in action
- S. Korea won’t be top seed in final World Cup qualification round
- US men’s soccer misses 2nd straight Olympics
- US back on track in qualifying with 4-0 win over Guatemala
- High-intensity workout injuries spawn cottage industry
- CDC expands range of Zika mosquitoes into parts of Northeast
- Who knew? ‘The Walking Dead’ is helping families connect
FAREED ZAKARIA COLUMN
By FAREED ZAKARIA
NEW YORK — While we have been focused on the results of special elections, the ups and downs of the Russia investigation, and President Trump’s latest tweets, under the radar, a broad and consequential shift in American foreign policy appears to be underway. Put simply, the United States is stumbling its way into another decade of war in the greater Middle East. And this next decade of conflict might prove to be even more destabilizing than the last one.
Trump came into office with a refreshing skepticism about America’s policy toward the region. “Everybody that’s touched the Middle East, they’ve gotten bogged down. … We’re bogged down,” he said during the campaign. But Trump also sees himself as a tough guy. At his rallies, he repeatedly vowed to “bomb the s— out of” the Islamic State. Now that he is in the White House and has surrounded himself with an array of generals, his macho instinct seems to have triumphed. The administration has ramped up its military operations across the greater Middle East, from Syria to Yemen to Afghanistan to Somalia — more troops, more bombings, more missions. But what is the underlying strategy?
In the fight against the Islamic State, U.S. forces have been aggressively initiating attacks, resulting in a considerable rise in civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria. And in a dramatic escalation, this week the U.S. shot down a Syrian warplane, putting Washington on a collision course with Syria’s ally, Russia, with the real possibility of U.S.-Russian military hostilities. Worse yet, it is unclear how this belligerence toward the Bashar Assad regime will achieve the sole stated mission of America’s involvement in Syria — to defeat the Islamic State. Logically, if Assad gets weaker, the main opposition forces — various militant Islamist groups, including the Islamic State — will get stronger. Compounding the incoherence, the administration explained that while it had attacked Assad’s forces, it was not fighting the Assad regime and the downing was simply an act of “collective self-defense.” A few more such acts of self-defense and American combat troops could find themselves on the ground in Syria.
In Afghanistan, Trump has delegated the details of a mini-surge of 4,000 more troops to Defense Secretary James Mattis and other senior military leaders. But there are limits to the perspective even of distinguished generals. Military officers can tell you whether, for example, they can take a hill. But does taking that hill serve America’s broader strategy? Can that hill be held at reasonable cost? Does this mission distract from other, larger American interests around the world? Those are questions that must be answered by the commander in chief.
The U.S. has been in Afghanistan for 16 years. It has had several surges in troop numbers and has spent almost a trillion dollars on that country. Last year, America’s aid to Afghanistan was equivalent to about 40 percent of that nation’s GDP. And yet, Mattis admits that the United States is “not winning.” What will an additional 4,000 troops now achieve that 130,000 troops could not?
In Yemen, the United States is now more actively engaged in a conflict that has little connection to the war against radical Islamic terror. With the latest arms sale, Washington is further fueling Saudi Arabia’s proxy war against Iran — a war that has led the kingdom into a de facto alliance with al-Qaeda in Yemen. Saudi Arabia’s new crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, seems likely to persist in this conflict, even though it has gone much worse than expected and has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe. A child in Yemen is dying of preventable causes every 10 minutes, according to UNICEF, and the poorest country in the Arab world has been turned into a wasteland in which terror groups will compete for decades to come.
In almost every situation American forces are involved in, the solutions are more political than military. This has become especially true in places like Syria and Afghanistan where many regional powers, with deep interests, have staked out positions and spread their influence. Military force without a strategy and a deeply engaged political and diplomatic process is destined to fail, perhaps even to produce a series of unintended consequences — witness the last decade and a half.
During the campaign, Trump seemed to be genuinely reflective about America’s role in the Middle East. “This is not usually me talking, OK, ’cause I’m very proactive,” he once said on the subject. “But I would sit back and [say], ‘Let’s see what’s going on.’” Yes. After 16 years of continuous warfare, hundreds of thousands dead, trillions of dollars, and greater regional instability, somebody in Washington needs to ask — before the next bombing or deployment: What is going on?
Fareed Zakaria’s email address is comments@fareedzakaria.com.
(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
64 Comments
-
N. Korea warns of ‘retaliatory response’ over S. Korea-U.S.-Japan’s summit agreementNorth Korea warned Tuesday that trilateral security cooperation among...
- November 18, 2024
ENTERTAINMENT
-
Pianist Lim Yunchan wins prestigious French awardSouth Korean pianist Lim Yunchan has won the Diapason...
- November 18, 2024
-
BTS star Jin celebrates solo album release with fan showcase in SeoulJin, a member of global K-pop sensation BTS, marked...
- November 18, 2024
fblogin
June 23, 2017 at 7:27 PM
I read some articles on this site and I think your blog is really interesting and has great information. Thank you for your sharing.
John lindsay
June 24, 2017 at 10:37 AM
Please remember that Mr. Zakaria is an Obama Apologist. Rather than disclose in advance ala’ banana, Mr Trump chooses not to announce to the enemy what the future holds.
.
www.dealsconnect.org
June 25, 2017 at 9:43 PM
This database is scheduled for deletion! If this database is still needed, please call the Chrysler Service Desk and open a trouble ticket to prevent the database
office com setup
June 27, 2017 at 10:56 PM
There’s a point where your computer setup goes beyond “home office” and into “the CTU set from 24,” and Stefan Didiak passed that point
see
August 25, 2017 at 5:24 AM
its really very interesting blog. i love to read this.
ProjectFreeTVWatch
August 25, 2017 at 5:25 AM
thanks for your sharing.
norton.com/setup
August 28, 2017 at 2:42 PM
Norton.com/setup Online Help: – Step by Step guide for Norton Setup, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup Norton product.
mcafee.com/activate
August 28, 2017 at 2:42 PM
Mcafee.com/activate Online Help – Step by Step guide for McAfee Activate, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Activate McAfee product. Just fill the form below and will get in touch with you as quick as possible.
norton.com/setup
August 28, 2017 at 2:43 PM
Norton.com/setup Online Help – Step by Step guide for Norton Setup, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup Norton product.
office.com/setup
August 28, 2017 at 2:43 PM
office.com/setup Online Help – Step by Step guide for office Setup, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup office product.
norton.com/setup
September 7, 2017 at 2:27 PM
Norton.com/setup sells Retail Cards which is available in many retail stores. Norton Retail Cards allow you to download your security product from the internet rather than installing from a CD. Downloading security product from the internet ensures you, your setup is the most recent version. Due to viruses and other malicious software it is very tough to install Norton product for normal computer users.
norton.com/setup
September 7, 2017 at 2:27 PM
Norton.com/setup sells Retail Cards which is available in many retail stores. Norton Retail Cards allow you to download your security product from the internet rather than installing from a CD. Downloading security product from the internet ensures you, your setup is the most recent version.
mcafee.com/activate
September 7, 2017 at 2:28 PM
McAfee.com/activate have the complete set of features which can protect your digital online and offline life of the computing devices, and it not only help you to protect it but also it can maintain the stability of your computer.
office.com/setup
September 7, 2017 at 2:28 PM
office.com/setup Help – Step-by-Step guide for Microsoft Office – Activate, Donwload & complete installation from office.com/setup online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or install Microsoft office product.
twitch.tv/activate
September 7, 2017 at 2:29 PM
twitch.tv/activate – Enter the code given to you by your device to link it to your Twitch account. Activate Your Twitch TV with us
mcafee.com/activate
September 13, 2017 at 1:38 AM
McAfee provides all round protection not just from malwares or infected files; it defends by blocking all the unwanted threats like phishing, scams. Once you installed your McAfee Retail card through http://www.mcafee.com/activate, you will get complete protection for your devices.
roku.com/link
September 26, 2017 at 10:22 AM
Roku.com/link provides the simplest way to stream entertainment to your TV. On your terms. Visit roku.com/link for Roku code linking to your Account.
roku.com/link
September 26, 2017 at 10:52 AM
Roku.com/link provides the simplest way to stream entertainment to your TV. On your terms. Visit roku.com/link for Roku code linking to your Account.activate your account just fill out the serial code and stream unlimited channels.
norton.com/setup
October 2, 2017 at 6:03 AM
Manage your subscription at norton.com/setup In today’s world of computing antivirus has become the necessity for every laptop, computer, PC, mobile or any other technical device. Today the world is incomplete without Internet, each one of us remain online 27*7 without knowing the fact of virus attacks that can ruin computers drivers or software. To protect the computer from malware threats installation of internet security or antivirus is necessary.
norton.com/setup
October 2, 2017 at 6:03 AM
Norton.com/setup Online Help – To enable this protection for your Windows or Mac PC, all you need to do is download, install and activate the Norton Setup. But, before you start with the downloading process, remember to uninstall the already installed security software or antivirus (if any) from your device. This is mandatory to avoid any software conflict issue.
norton.com/setup
October 2, 2017 at 6:07 AM
Microsoft Office, the complete suite comprises a number of applications like OneNote, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook, Publisher and more. It is the most used commercial software across the world. From creating a document, spreadsheet to sending a professional email, you can do everything, merely by having MS Office to your device. Since its launch to the present, the software is continuously updating to different versions that come up with some of the exceptional built-in features.
mcafee.com/activate
October 2, 2017 at 6:08 AM
mcafee.com/activate Online Help – Step by Step guide for mcafee activate, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup mcafee product.
mcafee.com/activate
October 2, 2017 at 6:09 AM
McAfee have the complete set of features which can protect your digital online and offline life of the computing devices, and it not only help you to protect it but also it can maintain the stability of your computer, increase the speed with inbuilt PC Optimisation tool. If you just purchased McAfee Retail Card from the store or online please visit http://www.Mcafee.com/activate in to your internet browser to redeem and activate your McAfee Security product online.
John Jackson
October 12, 2017 at 2:46 AM
We are third party tech support firm who make sure that our customers are satisfied with the service they receive using http://www.mcafee-card-activate.com. Remember we are just a dial away.
norton.com/setup
October 12, 2017 at 5:24 AM
Online Help – Step by Step guide for Norton Setup, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup Norton product.
office.com/setup
October 12, 2017 at 5:24 AM
Online Help – Step by Step guide for Office Setup, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup Office product.
office.com/setup
October 12, 2017 at 5:26 AM
Activate, Donwload & complete installation from office.com/setup online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or install Microsoft office product.
norton.com/setup
October 12, 2017 at 5:27 AM
To enable this protection for your Windows or Mac PC, all you need to do is download, install and activate the Norton Setup. But, before you start with the downloading process, remember to uninstall the already installed security software or antivirus (if any) from your device. This is mandatory to avoid any software conflict issue.
norton.com/setup
October 12, 2017 at 5:27 AM
Online Help – To enable this protection for your Windows or Mac PC, all you need to do is download, install and activate the Norton Setup. But, before you start with the downloading process, remember to uninstall the already installed security software or antivirus (if any) from your device. This is mandatory to avoid any software conflict issue.
roku.com/link
October 12, 2017 at 5:28 AM
Roku.com/link provides the best way to stream entertainment to TV. Visit roku com link for Enter Roku code linking to your Account for my.roku.com/link
Web designing in Mumbai
October 13, 2017 at 11:08 PM
Web designing the best of what we do!!! Get in touch today for a quote. Visit our website http://www.websgenius.com for more information.
Gary Elliott
October 21, 2017 at 12:38 AM
great post thanks for sharing https://gunsofboomhacks.site/
office.com/setup
October 24, 2017 at 10:00 PM
Your selection of topic is very good and also well written. Thanks for sharing. I feel like all your ideas are incredible! Great job!!!
mcafee.com/activate
November 10, 2017 at 1:45 PM
mcafee.com/activate have the complete set features which can protect your digital online and offline life of the computing devices, and it not only help you to protect it but also it can maintain the stability of your computer, increase the speed with inbuilt PC Optimisation tool.
mcafee.com/activate
November 13, 2017 at 9:54 AM
mcafee.com/activate have the complete set features which can protect your digital online and offline and it not only help you to protect it but also it can maintain the stability of your computer, increase the speed with inbuilt PC Optimisation tool.
yogi metropolitan
November 21, 2017 at 12:59 AM
nice website….
isftcollege
November 21, 2017 at 2:05 AM
nice blog post.. i liked..
happy new year sms
November 21, 2017 at 3:23 AM
Download latest happy new year quotes. Get free wishes about happy new year sms.
norton.com/setup
November 28, 2017 at 3:08 AM
Step by Step guide for Norton Setup, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup Norton product.
mcafee.com/activate
November 28, 2017 at 3:08 AM
mcafee.com/activate Online Help – Step by Step guide for mcafee activate, Download & complete installation online.We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup mcafee product.
Happy Quotes
November 30, 2017 at 1:36 AM
Download inspirational Happy Quotes with images for free.
norton.com/setup
December 4, 2017 at 2:19 AM
Norton, one of the largest security products providers, has made it quite easy to protect your computer system from the malicious online activities, viruses, Trojan horses, scams and other threats. By installing a Norton setup to your device, you can be sure of the privacy of your important files as well as confidential information. Be it a business or consumer, Norton offers a special security software to suit the needs of everyone. You can choose anyone from the following:
Avast Support
December 6, 2017 at 2:05 AM
Avast Customer Support is a third party technical support service. We are here to help you out with the whole procedure to Download Avast Antivirus online, We not only fix your Avast setup related issues but will guide with how to get started with your new Avast product once it gets installed successfully. We at Avast Tech Support provides service to protect your PC from potential online threats and external attacks like viruses, Trojans, malwares, spywares and phishing scams.
Norton Support
December 6, 2017 at 2:07 AM
Norton Tech Support is a third party service provider and not in any way associated with Norton or any of its partner companies. At Norton Support we offer support for Norton products and sell subscription based additional warranty on computer and other peripheral devices.
norton.com/setup
December 13, 2017 at 10:49 PM
Norton, one of the largest security products providers, has made it quite easy to protect your computer system from the malicious online activities, viruses, Trojan horses, scams and other threats. By installing a Norton setup to your device, you can be sure of the privacy of your important files as well as confidential information. Be it a business or consumer, Norton offers a special security software to suit the needs of everyone. You can choose anyone from the following:
norton.com/setup
Mcafee.com/Activate
December 13, 2017 at 10:50 PM
Mcafee.com/activate Online Help – Step by Step guide for McAfee Activate, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Activate McAfee product. Just fill the form below and will get in touch with you as quick as possible.
Mcafee.com/Activate
Office.com/setup
December 13, 2017 at 10:50 PM
Microsoft Office is basically an office suite which may involve wide variety of programs such as PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Access etc and compatible with Windows, Mac, Smart Phones etc. Microsoft Office is the basic requirement or need of the user now-a-days. Office is the best program available in the market and there is no comparison of Microsoft Office with any other software till now.
Office.com/setup
digitaltenz
December 22, 2017 at 4:13 AM
Download latest gadegts and information online for free at digitaltenz.
gogoanime
January 1, 2018 at 12:57 PM
latest dbs episodes are found
norton.com/setup
January 2, 2018 at 10:27 PM
Norton.com/setup Online Help – Step by Step guide for Norton Setup, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup Norton product.
norton.com/setup
norton.com/setup
January 2, 2018 at 10:28 PM
Norton.com/setup Online Help – To enable this protection for your Windows or Mac PC, all you need to do is download, install and activate the Norton Setup. But, before you start with the downloading process, remember to uninstall the already installed security software or antivirus (if any) from your device. This is mandatory to avoid any software conflict issue.
norton.com/setup
norton.com/setup
January 2, 2018 at 10:28 PM
Norton.com/setup Online Help – To enable this protection for your Windows or Mac PC, all you need to do is download, install and activate the Norton Setup. But, before you start with the downloading process,
norton.com/setup
mcafee.com/activate
January 2, 2018 at 10:28 PM
mcafee.com/activate Online Help – Step by Step guide for mcafee activate, Download & complete installation online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or Setup mcafee product.
mcafee.com/activate
office.com/setup
January 2, 2018 at 10:29 PM
office.com/setup Help – Step-by-Step guide for Microsoft Office – Activate, Donwload & complete installation from office.com/setup online. We are providing independent support service if in case you face problem to activate or install Microsoft office product.
office.com/setup
www.office.com/setup
January 9, 2018 at 2:11 AM
Microsoft office has a different version, and the entire version has the different setup file. Some of the version is Office 2013, Office 2016 and Office 365 etc.
norton.com/setup
January 9, 2018 at 2:12 AM
Norton is one of the most reliable antivirus providers in the market. Norton is delivering top rated protection from mobile devices and computers. Norton has 3
mcafee.com/activate
January 9, 2018 at 2:13 AM
McAfee have the complete set of features which can protect your digital online and offline life of the computing devices, and it not only help you to protect it but also it can maintain the stability of your computer, increase the speed with inbuilt PC Optimisation tool.
Avira Tech Support
January 9, 2018 at 2:13 AM
If your PC is having a slow performance and you are facing problems due to this, then we can provide a solution to that. at TechSalvation, we have a highly experienced team for resolving the issues related to the slow performance of computers and laptops.
office.com/setup
January 9, 2018 at 2:14 AM
With an Office 365 subscription, you get the latest Office apps – both the desktop and online versions – and updates when they’re released.
Total Pet Care
January 10, 2018 at 3:06 AM
pets news at
office setup
January 10, 2018 at 10:00 PM
with your entire process to setup office product online. Have you Just bought Microsoft Office product ? If yes then you can complete your Office Setup online with your product key code. You just need open office.com/setup , Install Office , Install Microsoft Office or setup.office.com into your web browser.
john martirez
January 16, 2018 at 6:19 AM
really very interesting blog. i love to read this. THANKS FOR SHARING!
WANT FREE GOLD COINS AND CASH?? CLICK HERE PLS >>>>>>>http://csr2hack.racing/<<<<GET UNLIMITED CASH AND GOLDS 2018!! LEGIT!!!
Embroidery Digitizing
January 16, 2018 at 7:19 AM
I just love exploring the content on this site. Keep visiting us for more embroidery digitizing and Vector Art Services
Webroot.com/safe
January 18, 2018 at 2:33 AM
Webroot.com/safe – Activate Your Webroot Com Safe on your laptop, PC, Smartphone etc & secure your devices. Let’s Get Started with Webroot Safe at http://www.Webroot.com/safe & Activate Webroot Safe.