It’s important to recall the legacy of our post-9/11 actions in the Middle East.
- After the invasion of Afghanistan, we couldn’t be bothered to pacify the country because we were in such a hurry to invade Iraq.
Consequences: Years of bloody chaos in Afghanistan ending in retreat.
- After the invasion of Iraq we chose sides with the Shiites and couldn’t be bothered with their close associations with Shiite Iran.
Consequences: Iran was the primary beneficiary of the Iraq war.
- After declaring Iran to be public enemy #1, we were so eager to impose sanctions that we couldn’t be bothered about their nuclear weapons program.
Consequences: All sides in Iran are now united in hatred of the United States. The nuclear weapons program has always had broad popular support. The Europeans have forestalled it for a bit, but guess what?
Maybe they’ll get a nuclear club welcoming party like the one we threw for Kim Jong-Un.
on the outside 