United States Security Policy and Defense Posture in the Middle East

The Middle East is in the midst of a particularly tumultuous period, from the Arab Awakening to the evolution of Al Qaeda, to the deadly conflict in Syria, to Iran's continued pursuit of nuclear weapons. We are witnessing a level of volatility in the Middle East that poses a serious threat to U.S. security and to our interests in the region. While our allies and partners seek strong U.S. leadership and engagement in the region, they instead see signs of disengagement. Our withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan, the administration's rebalance to other regions and its dealmaking with Iran help shape this view. There is widespread uncertainty about U.S. commitment in the Middle East. Former U.N. [United Nations] Ambassador to Iraq James Jeffrey [wrote] in a recent op-ed, "As often happens in this region." Equally important is our military posture in the region, how we combat evolving threats, deter Iran, degrade Al Qaeda, and assure our allies and partners. We also must ensure our military posture and its associated capabilities are not traded for interim deals with regimes that have a history of noncompliance.