There is no way anyone can justify 18 years of sacrificing American blood and treasure in the Middle East. The fallout of this includes millions of refugees that causes it’s own serious long term problems.
Still, you don’t seem to acknowledge the real reason for our interest in oil-rich ME, namely, the preservation of the petrodollar.
It’s not simply they sit on top of vast amounts of black gold, but it is absolutely imperative all that crude be sold for US Dollars.
Unless I missed it, I don’t think you mentioned that part.
[There is no way anyone can justify 18 years of sacrificing American blood and treasure in the Middle East.]
As to refugees, there’s no problem. Post-war Japan an Germany had refugee problems. Millions of orphans and widows. 10% of Germany and 5% of Japan lay dead. Millions of homes turned into rubble. The world said you will deal with it, and shut the door to them. So they did. There is no refugee problem - there’s a run to the West; there’s an open door policy problem.