Hoover InstitutionStanford University
The Middle East and Retrenchment Syndrome

Published February 16, 2021

Despite popular sentiment, US withdrawal from the Middle East would not be an unmitigated good. Leaders must make the case to the American people that sustained engagement is critical to security and prosperity around the world. The United States must remain engaged in the region, employing a long-term strategy that integrates diplomatic, military, and development efforts.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is the cost of US disengagement in the Middle East?
  2. How can the United States use strategic empathy to develop a long-term strategy for the Middle East?

Additional Resources:

  • Read Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World, by H. R. McMaster. Learn more here.
  • Read “Middle East Policy in an Age of Constraint,” by Russell Berman via The Caravan. Available here.
  • Listen to “Chaos in the Middle East,” with Victor Davis Hanson. Available here.

Cast

H.R. McMaster

H.R. McMaster

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