{"id":2273207,"date":"2024-06-21T05:45:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-21T09:45:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/america-needs-new-friends-in-the-middle-east\/"},"modified":"2024-06-21T05:55:23","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T09:55:23","slug":"america-needs-new-friends-in-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/america-needs-new-friends-in-the-middle-east\/","title":{"rendered":"America must forge new alliances in the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Famerica-needs-new-friends-in-the-middle-east%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2273207&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-campaign-reacts-to-bump-stock-supreme-court-decision-the-court-has-spoken\/\" title=\"Trump campaign responds to Supreme Court's bump stock ruling: \"The court has spoken.\">provided text discusses<\/a> the shifting dynamics in the \u2063Middle East, particularly \u2064concerning the United States&#8217; role and its relations with various \u200bcountries\u200b in the\u200b region. Despite attempts \u2064to pivot away from the Middle\u2019s East prolonged\u200c conflicts and\u2062 focus on great power \u2063competitions with China and Russia, the U.S. finds \u2064itself continually drawn \u200cback into the region&#8217;s complexities.<\/p>\n<p>The narrative\u200b begins with the recent aggression\u2062 from Iranian proxies, notably the deadly attacks by Hamas and others on Israel, noted \u2062as the largest massacre \u200cof Jewish civilians\u2062 since\u2063 the \u2062Holocaust. This series\u200b of events underscores Iran&#8217;s strengthened position and its relationship with China, positioning Tehran as a key regional player capable of challenging U.S. influence.<\/p>\n<p>The United States&#8217; waning deterrence\u200b in the Middle East prompts a \u200cneed to reassess its alliances and strategic interests. The text details the complicated relationships with \u200cTurkey\u2062 and Qatar, both of \u200cwhom have shown tendencies to act contrary to U.S. interests despite being allies. Turkey&#8217;s increasing engagement\u2064 with hostile entities and Qatar\u2019s hosting of U.S.-designated terrorist groups highlight their problematic stances.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the analysis\u200b includes Egypt&#8217;s ambiguous role regarding the Gaza tunnels and its hesitant \u200ccooperation with Gaza&#8217;s humanitarian issues, despite receiving substantial U.S. \u200baid. Meanwhile, Jordan, while generally \u2064cooperative with the U.S., has problematic \u2064elements, including providing sanctuary to notorious terrorists.<\/p>\n<p>The backdrop to these alliances and their issues is the broader geopolitical competition \u2062involving major powers\u200d exerting \u2063their \u2062influence in the region, with \u200bChina making strategic inroads \u2064as evident \u2063in their \u200cactivities in \u200bthe\u2064 UAE.<\/p>\n<p>the text argues for a\u2064 major reassessment of\u200b U.S. policies and \u2063relationships\u2063 in the Middle\u2064 East amid these ongoing and emerging challenges, suggesting that a recalibration of strategic \u2062priorities and alliances \u200cis \u2063crucial for maintaining U.S. influence and addressing the evolving\u2064 security landscape.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>After decades of war, the United States is pivoting away from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/middle-east\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Middle East<\/a>, gearing itself for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/2841729\/the-postwar-order-is-gone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>great power<\/a> competition with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/china\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>China<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/russia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Russia<\/a>. But recent events bring to mind Al Pacino\u2019s famous line from Francis Ford Coppola\u2019s <em>The Godfather Part III<\/em>: \u201cJust when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.\u201d And they serve as a reminder that Washington should revisit its alliances in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the present moment is a good opportunity for the U.S. to reassess. The Middle East is on fire.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Islamic Republic of Iran<\/a> is emboldened. Tehran is Beijing\u2019s foremost <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/2454804\/the-middle-kingdom-meets-the-middle-east\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ally<\/a> in the region. China views Iran as its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/09\/china-the-real-winner-in-any-new-iran-nuclear-deal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>regional foil<\/a>, capable of attacking American allies, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/beltway-confidential\/2714600\/the-us-must-uphold-freedom-of-navigation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>disrupting<\/a> shipping and trade, and thwarting U.S. attempts to increase regional integration and normalization.<\/p>\n<p>On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas and other Iranian proxies invaded <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/israel\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Israel<\/a>, murdering more than 1,200 people and taking an estimated 240 hostage. The terrorists tortured, raped, and mutilated many of their victims and proudly filmed their atrocities. The attack was the largest massacre of Jewish civilians since the Holocaust. Adjusting for population differences, the massacre was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtoninstitute.org\/policy-analysis\/why-107-was-worse-israel-911-was-america\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>roughly<\/a> the equivalent of more than 30,000 Americans murdered in one day \u2014 more than 10 times the number killed by al Qaeda on 9\/11.<\/p>\n<p>The massacre was reportedly planned well in advance, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hamas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Hamas<\/a> and other U.S.-designated terrorist groups <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/middle-east\/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>receiving<\/a> extensive training and support from Iran. Indeed, other Iranian <a href=\"https:\/\/ctc.westpoint.edu\/the-path-to-october-7-how-iran-built-up-and-managed-a-palestinian-axis-of-resistance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>proxies<\/a>, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, also took part in the atrocities. Hezbollah, the Iranian-supported terrorist organization that de facto controls Lebanon, began launching <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/courage-strength-optimism\/2939804\/is-israel-heading-for-war-with-hezbollah\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>attacks from<\/a> Israel\u2019s north. Other elements of Tehran\u2019s terrorist network, such as the Houthis in Yemen and various militias in Syria and Iraq, have also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/courage-strength-optimism\/3008263\/sorry-the-us-cant-ignore-syria\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>joined<\/a> in. <\/p>\n<p>Their objective? To engulf the Jewish state in a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/buzz\/deal-or-no-deal-iran-israel-war-coming-middle-east-203135\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>ring of fire<\/a>,\u201d surrounding it from all sides and subjecting it to a brutal war of attrition. This has long been Iran\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/2626603\/israel-may-be-facing-a-five-front-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>strategy<\/a>, and several signs indicate that it believes the time is ripe to carry it out. On April 13, Iran <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/restoring-america\/courage-strength-optimism\/2965673\/the-us-must-not-obstruct-necessary-israeli-retaliation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>fired<\/a> hundreds of rockets, drones, and missiles at Israel. And for the first time, the barrage came from Iranian soil itself. The fig leaf was off. Tehran was no longer hiding behind its proxies.<\/p>\n<p>Other developments are cause for concern. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that Iran is edging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/analysis\/2024\/05\/01\/what-to-know-about-irans-nuclear-program-advanced-centrifuges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>closer<\/a> in its ambitions to become a nuclear power. Iranian officials have even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/world\/iranian-lawmaker-declares-tehran-obtained-nuclear-bombs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>bragged<\/a> that Iran is close to having the bomb. <\/p>\n<p>Writing in the <em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>, Reuel Marc Gerecht and Ray Takeyh, scholars at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Council on Foreign Relations, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/analysis\/2024\/04\/20\/irans-nuclear-calculus-has-now-become-more-dangerous\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>warned<\/a> that \u201cIran\u2019s nuclear calculus has now become more dangerous.\u201d Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the regime\u2019s supreme leader, is reportedly ailing with cancer \u2014 and he could view Iran\u2019s nuclear ambitions as his final legacy. The Middle East, indeed the world, would become even more dangerous if the world\u2019s leading state sponsor of terrorism becomes a nuclear power.<\/p>\n<p>The events of Oct. 7 and the months of war that have followed highlight the declining influence of the U.S. in the Middle East. Indeed, American deterrence has largely collapsed. Long before Hamas invaded Israel, Iranian militias were launching <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/opinion\/beltway-confidential\/2719057\/us-deterrence-is-disappearing-in-the-middle-east\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>attacks<\/a> on U.S. forces in Syria and Iraq and the Houthis were attacking ships in the Red Sea. <\/p>\n<p>The Middle East is undergoing another period of dramatic change. China\u2019s involvement in the Middle East is growing, while America\u2019s declines. Iran is gaining ground in its attempt to become the preponderant power in the region. And America\u2019s current security architecture is ill-prepared to meet many of these challenges. The events of the last few months call for a major reassessment. <\/p>\n<p>Several of America\u2019s ostensible allies have revealed themselves to be Janus-faced.<\/p>\n<p>Turkey has been a key American ally for decades. Geopolitics helps explain why. Turkey\u2019s very location, striding between East and West, ensures it will always be an important country. Ankara is the preeminent Mediterranean power and possesses one of the most capable militaries in the Middle East. Belying its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/a-matter-of-good-versus-evil-mike-johnson-champions-aid-to-israel\/\" title=\"Mike Johnson advocates for supporting Israel in the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between good and evil.\">geopolitical importance<\/a> during the Cold War, Turkey became part of not one but two American-backed alliances: NATO and the ill-fated Central Treaty Organization.<\/p>\n<p>Yet it is too easy to view the history of U.S.-Turkey relations with rose-colored glasses. In fact, tensions have always existed. In many respects, they reflect an undeniable fact: Turkey, a key lynchpin in Western alliances, is not itself a Western country. Turkey has long hedged between the Anglosphere and its enemies. The nation was neutral in World War II, and only its historic enmity with Russia made it tilt West during the Cold War. <\/p>\n<p>In recent decades, Turkish power has expanded considerably. Ankara has become increasingly assertive, both in the region and across the globe, reflecting its growing military and economic status from the nadir of decades past. This is hardly unusual. Strong nations tend to flex their muscles. <\/p>\n<p>But Turkey\u2019s dalliances with some of America\u2019s enemies have become more frequent. Cracks in the U.S.-Turkey relationship first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/archive\/politics\/2003\/03\/02\/turkey-rejects-us-use-of-bases\/01e53587-6d0b-4b3a-bb48-f86f87a15d02\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>appeared<\/a> in 2003, when the country rejected a proposal to base U.S. troops on Turkish soil during operations against Saddam Hussein\u2019s Iraq. And under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara has <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/JSchanzer\/status\/1711205447783399547\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>expanded<\/a> ties with Islamist movements, including Hamas. <\/p>\n<p>Long before Oct. 7, Erdogan and members of his Justice and Development Party, or AKP, were hosting Hamas. In 2012, for example, Turkey allowed Hamas to establish a headquarters in Istanbul. Hamas has used this haven to plot and carry out <a href=\"https:\/\/jcpa.org\/article\/hamas-istanbul-headquarters-has-directed-hundreds-of-terror-attacks-against-israelis-and-laundered-millions-of-dollars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>hundreds<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flashback-former-ag-barr-initiated-spying-program-on-americans-back-in-1992\/\" title=\"FLASHBACK: Former AG Barr Initiated Spying Program on Americans Back in 1992\">terrorist attacks<\/a>, some of which have murdered Americans. The terrorist group also uses Turkey as a key base for intelligence and fundraising. Sinan Ciddi and Jonathan Schanzer, analysts with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/analysis\/2023\/11\/14\/targeting-jihad-yaghmour-and-the-hamas-operation-in-turkey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>noted<\/a> that Jihad Yaghmour, a convicted Palestinian terrorist, was given sanctuary in Turkey in 2011. Yaghmour helps run the innocuous-sounding \u201cAssociation of Jerusalem and Our History\u201d \u2014 which, after Oct. 7, was renamed \u201cAl Aqsa Flood,\u201d echoing the name that Hamas bestowed upon the massacre. <\/p>\n<p>It is intolerable and unacceptable that Turkey, a NATO member and beneficiary of U.S. largesse, hosts U.S.-designated terrorists like Hamas. But Ankara seems unbothered. On April 20, 2024, Erdogan hosted Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/analysis\/2024\/04\/22\/hamas-chief-meets-turkish-president-considers-move-from-qatar-to-turkey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>reportedly<\/a> as part of talks to get the terrorist group to transfer its main headquarters from Qatar to Turkey. <\/p>\n<p>On the one hand, Turkey <em>could<\/em> be an important bulwark against both Russian and Iranian influence. And it has been comparatively more critical of China\u2019s treatment of ethnic minorities than any other Muslim-majority nation. Some have argued that it is better to have Turkey on the fence than actively siding with foes like Beijing. Yet the present course is unsustainable.<\/p>\n<p>Both Turkey and Qatar represent two very different cases. Qatar isn\u2019t remotely in the same league as Turkey in terms of its military prowess or geopolitical importance. Rather, Doha\u2019s leverage exists because Washington itself has bestowed it: allowing the Qataris to build a base for U.S. military personnel that they\u2019ve since hung over our heads. But both countries are actively working against U.S. aims and objectives in the Middle East.<\/p>\n<p>Prior to 9\/11, the American military presence in the tiny gulf emirate was small, but it has increased dramatically in the last two decades. In March 2022, the Biden administration <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/presidential-actions\/2022\/03\/10\/memorandum-on-the-designation-of-the-state-of-qatar-as-a-major-non-nato-ally\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>designated<\/a> Qatar as a \u201cmajor non-NATO ally,\u201d significantly expanding ties. In January 2024, the White House also reached a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/middle-east\/us-reaches-deal-extend-military-presence-qatar-base-source-2024-01-02\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>deal<\/a> extending its military presence at al Udeid Air Base for another 10 years.<\/p>\n<p>But Doha has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/qatars-regional-role-as-a-mediator-between-west-and-middle-east\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>hosted<\/a> U.S.-designated terrorist groups, including Hamas and the Taliban. Qatari state media, notably <em>Al Jazeera<\/em>, are virulently anti-American and antisemitic. This is not a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/analysis\/2023\/12\/19\/10-things-to-know-about-hamas-and-qatar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>new<\/a> development. As far back as 2004, then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2003\/09\/08\/international\/middleeast\/rumsfeld-strikes-back-at-critics-of-us-effort-on.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>criticized<\/a> <em>Al Jazeera<\/em> for its \u201cvicious, inaccurate, and inexcusable\u201d coverage, including its praise for suicide bombers. More recently, <em>Al Jazeera<\/em> reporters have even ended interviews with Gazans once they started to complain about Hamas. As the Saudi journalist Matar al Ahmadi, the former editor of <em>Al Arabiya<\/em>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.memri.org\/reports\/arab-journalists-al-jazeera-mouthpiece-terrorist-organizations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>noted<\/a>: <em>Al Jazeera<\/em> is the \u201cchannel of [Hezbollah head Hassan] Nasrallah, [Iranian Supreme Leader] Khamenei, and [Osama] bin Laden. \u2026 <em>Al Jazeera<\/em> is nothing but a tool for creating chaos and anarchy \u2026 with media and ideological campaigns aimed at marketing Hezbollah\u201d and \u201cal Qaeda.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Prominent terrorists reside in fancy Doha <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2023\/11\/07\/news\/hamas-leaders-worth-11bn-live-luxury-lives-in-qatar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>hotels<\/a> not too far from American service members living at al Udeid base. Top Hamas operatives, men responsible for the kidnapping and murder of Americans, Israelis, and others, are given sanctuary.<\/p>\n<p>Other alliances present their own problems.<\/p>\n<p>As with Turkey, Egypt is a country that can\u2019t be ignored. For decades, Cairo was the preeminent Arab power in the region. At the dawn of the Cold War, the U.S., cognizant of this fact, cultivated Egypt but initially lost out to the Soviets. Yet beginning with the Nixon administration, U.S.-Egyptian relations improved, eventually leading Washington to bring Cairo successfully \u201con side.\u201d Egypt not only made peace with Israel but also soon became the <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/middle-east-watch\/don%E2%80%99t-take-peace-between-egypt-and-israel-granted-194200\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>beneficiary<\/a> of significant amounts of U.S. aid. Egypt\u2019s move from the Soviet sphere to the West is one of the great achievements of American foreign policy in the Middle East, and Cairo remains an important U.S. ally. But here, too, there are important problems that need to be addressed.<\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s delayed operation into the southern Gaza town of Rafah, Hamas\u2019s last stronghold, has revealed more than 700 tunnel shafts, with at least 50 crossing into Egypt. The existence of the tunnels, used to ferret terrorists and arms and smuggle hostages, including Americans, has long been <a href=\"https:\/\/www.commentary.org\/jonathan-schanzer\/egypts-gaza-dilemma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>suspected<\/a>. Yet the Egyptian government of Abdel Fattah el Sisi has long <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/analysis\/2024\/05\/16\/cairos-double-game-in-gaza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>denied<\/a> that they still exist, claiming to have destroyed them. <\/p>\n<p>Tellingly, however, Egypt opposed Israel\u2019s Rafah operation, fueling long-standing suspicions that not only was Cairo aware of the tunnels, but it might have even struck deals with Hamas. Sisi came to power thanks to his opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood, which then ruled Egypt. And Hamas itself is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. Sisi is not a supporter of Islamist groups in the fashion of Turkey or Qatar. But this is still the Middle East, and sometimes it pays to look the other way. Indeed, as Bonnie Glick, a former deputy administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/bonnie-glick\/2024\/06\/01\/what-is-hamas-hiding-in-rafah-and-why-doesnt-biden-want-the-idf-to-find-it-n2639836\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>observed<\/a>, Bedouin smugglers with ties to the Sisi regime have made millions from smuggling for Hamas.<\/p>\n<p>Egypt has also steadfastly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fdd.org\/analysis\/2024\/05\/16\/cairos-double-game-in-gaza\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>refused<\/a> to help solve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and take in refugees from the war. Egypt\u2019s opposition has made the situation more dire. The Egyptian government\u2019s security concerns are, of course, reasonable. But the tremendous U.S. aid that Egypt receives is partially predicated on Cairo doing its part to prevent the deterioration of security in the region. <\/p>\n<p>Another longtime ally, Jordan, has also hindered recent U.S. objectives. <\/p>\n<p>Jordan has been an important U.S. ally for decades. The ruling Hashemite family, with its origins in the distant Arabian Peninsula, was placed on the throne by the British more than 100 years ago. The Jordanians relied heavily on the British, and later the Americans, for support. The nation itself was carved out of the original British Mandate for Palestine and the majority of its population is Palestinian. These factors have made Hashemite rule inherently fragile. Numerous coups have been attempted, and in 1951, King Abdullah I, the great-grandfather of the current king, was assassinated by Palestinian extremists.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. and Israel have played an important role in ensuring the Hashemites hold on power, perhaps most <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalinterest.org\/blog\/middle-east-watch\/black-september-remembered-how-plo-forged-modern-middle-east-167531\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>notably<\/a> in 1970 when Palestine Liberation Organization terrorists sought to overthrow the Jordanian ruler, King Hussein. For decades, both Washington and Jerusalem have provided key security assistance to the Kingdom. And Jordan, in turn, has reciprocated by serving American aims and objectives in both the Cold War and the war on terrorism. <\/p>\n<p>Jordan has continued to help, most recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.timesofisrael.com\/liveblog_entry\/jordan-let-israeli-jets-use-its-airspace-during-iran-attack-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>allowing<\/a> Israeli fighter jets to intercept Iranian missiles being launched at the Jewish state. The Jordanians have assisted both Israel and the U.S. in a multitude of ways, including via sharing key intelligence. Indeed, just by existing and preventing a takeover by extremists, Jordan renders considerable aid to both Washington and Jerusalem, serving as a key lynchpin in America\u2019s Middle East security architecture. <\/p>\n<p>Yet to appease extremist elements in the kingdom, the Jordanians have also thrown gasoline on the fire. Jordan has provided sanctuary to terrorists such as Ahlam Tamimi, the mastermind of the 2001 Sbarro pizza bombing in Israel, which took 17 lives and maimed more than 130 people, including Americans. Tamimi lives a celebrity\u2019s life in Jordan, and the kingdom has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jns.org\/middle-east\/ahlam-tamimi\/23\/9\/14\/319120\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>refused<\/a> to extradite her to the U.S. despite her being on the FBI\u2019s Most Wanted list. More recently, Jordan\u2019s Queen Rania has made public remarks <a href=\"https:\/\/jewishinsider.com\/2024\/05\/jorans-queen-rania-israel-hamas-gaza-war-palestinians-milken\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>blaming<\/a> Israel for the Oct. 7 massacre and accusing the Jewish state of \u201cgenocide.\u201d The Hashemites might be attempting to assuage popular opinion in the kingdom, but in the long run, such efforts are destabilizing.<\/p>\n<p>Jordan, like Egypt, is an important friend to the U.S. And no friendship is without differences. But recent events have highlighted concerns that should be addressed. Ditto for Kuwait, which the U.S. and allies saved from Saddam 30 years ago but which, along with Qatar, recently <a href=\"https:\/\/defencesecurityasia.com\/en\/qatar-and-kuwait-prohibit-us-from-using-bases-airspace-for-strikes-on-iran\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>refused<\/a> to allow its airspace to be used to counter Iranian attacks. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/national-security\/2023\/04\/26\/chinese-military-base-uae\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>Evidence<\/a> that Beijing is building bases in the United Arab Emirates, another longtime ally, is also cause for concern.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>America\u2019s security alliances in the Middle East are decades old, many born from the Cold War. Attempts to create large collective security alliances a la NATO have had a very <a href=\"https:\/\/2001-2009.state.gov\/r\/pa\/ho\/time\/lw\/98683.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>checkered<\/a> history and are inevitably subjected to the storms and chaos that have long plagued the region. The Abraham Accords, in which several Arab states recognized Israel and launched commercial ties with the Jewish state, is the most promising <a href=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/media.hudson.org\/Robert+Greenway+-+Strength+in+Unity+-+A+Sustainable+US-Led+Regional+Security+Construct+in+the+Middle+East.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>development<\/a> in years. It is in Washington\u2019s interest to deepen and expand these relations. They represent the best path forward for the U.S. and its friends. Iran, keenly aware of this, will work to destroy them. <\/p>\n<p>As the U.S. pivots to the Pacific, it is tempting to think that the Middle East won\u2019t matter. But the region <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/foreign-policy\/879446\/riyadh-and-reality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title>continues<\/a> to be an important source for energy, including for American allies in the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere. Yet oil isn\u2019t the greatest export from the Middle East. Instability is. Simply put: The region can\u2019t be written off.\u00a0 And U.S. alliances, like alliances elsewhere, require maintenance. Some, it seems, require revisiting. As Washington looks to craft a new policy for a new age, the status quo will not suffice. <\/p>\n<p><em>Sean Durns is a senior research analyst for CAMERA, the 65,000-member, Boston-based Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After decades of conflict, the U.S. is shifting focus from the Middle East to confront China and Russia in a great power contest. However, echoing Al Pacino&#8217;s line from &#8220;The Godfather Part III,&#8221; recent developments suggest that disengagement is easier said than done: &#8220;Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1936,"featured_media":2273208,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Feat.MiddleEast.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2273207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Feat.MiddleEast.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2273207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1936"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2273207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2273207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2273208"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2273207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2273207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2273207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}