Why do we care about the Middle East ? $$$ to run the world's economy with oil. Suppose no one needs ME oil, which will be the case in perhaps 5 to 10 years. What happens then ? They'll run out of money with which their attacks against colonialism and spread of Islam have been financed. Won't they got back to backwater status that no one cares about, by and large.
Or does their waning influence encourage them to get nukes so people will pay attention. Nukes require financing too.
Mitt's energy independence is easily doable and solves several problems. Focus shifts further east to China and Russia, also as Mitt has said.