Don’t blame Obama for Middle East mess

When I read remarks such as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticizing ex-President Barack Obama for mishandling strategy in the Middle East, it brings to mind the actions of George H.W. Bush after we pushed Iraq out of Kuwait.

When asked why he didn’t destroy the entire Iraqi army when they were in full retreat, Bush said something to the effect that we needed to allow the Iraqi armed forces to be a constant threat to Iran.

Now when George W. Bush became president, he decided he knew more than his father and decided to destroy Iraq (which was no threat to the United States) and therefore allow Iran to become our biggest problem in the Middle East.

Mr. Pompeo can blame Mr. Obama for anything he wants. But at some point the Republicans (and the American press) should be honest enough and point the finger at the real cause of much of our problems in the Middle East.