Middle Eastern Policy

Published February 23, 2023

There are trade-offs in foreign policy. If the United States shifts its attention away from the Middle East—to China, for example—it opens the door for America’s adversaries to make progress in the region. Similarly, the US must not exclude working with countries on the basis of their political system, since that closes the door to for pushing for democratic change in those places.

Discussion Questions:

1. Should US foreign policy be easy or difficult to make? Why?
2. What could America do to ameliorate the civil war in Yemen?

Additional Resources:

• Read “Turkey is the Wild Card” by Russell Berman. Available here.
• Read “Syrian Tragedy, Turkish Error, American Failing,” by Russell Berman. Available here.
• Watch “Second Fronts in Great-Power Conflicts,” on PolicyEd. Available here.