Even General James L. Jones, Obama’s former national security adviser, admits that the president has made zero progress in the Middle East. On Charlie Rose last night, he offered this explanation for Obama’s failure:
As we know, in some cases we made some progress . . . on the other hand, with the Middle East and Iran, we’re probably right back where we were three or four years ago. It is great to be able to come in and try to think strategically, but many times you get driven by the tactics of the moment and find yourself responding to the tactical impulses, and it’s very hard to keep that strategic focus.