George Friedman, CEO of Stratfor, has a longish article for RealClearWorld focusing on his vision of current U.S. policy in the Middle East. Surprise: he actually thinks it is a coherent, albeit complex, policy.
Friedman believes U.S. policy today in the region resembles a former British policy aimed at creating a "balance of power." In other words, first we help one side, until they begin to look strong, then we help the other side catch up. The goal is to maintain a balance in which no nation is enough stronger than its neighbors to dominate the region.
Friedman may be correct, or it may be that the pattern he believes he sees is merely an incoherent set of U.S. case-by-case reactions to situations occurring spontaneously in a volatile arena. It might also be a bit of both.
