By Post Editorial Board
August 29, 2016
As if the Middle East weren’t explosive enough, there are fresh signs of new danger. The next US president, Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, will have his or her hands full.
Turkey, for starters, has upped its campaign in Syria, targeting both Islamic State fighters and the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG). Ankara says its strikes Sunday on YPG positions killed 25 Kurdish “terrorists.” Trouble is, both Turkey and the Kurds are US allies. Washington’s caught in the middle.
In Iran, the mullahs are beefing up air defenses with Russian-made S-300 long-range missiles. Video footage on the state TV’s website last weekend showed the missiles being deployed at the Fordo nuclear site.
On Monday, Tehran announced a new radar system to detect radar-evading aircraft. All this will make it harder to take out any nuclear weapons it develops.
In Syria, the war has left nearly half a million people dead and set off a worldwide refugee crisis. And, of course, the Middle East is the heart of jihadi terrorism.
Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis — who, as head of the US Central Command, oversaw military operations in the Middle East — had it right last week when he spoke of the chaos.
The Middle East “is experiencing the most turmoil since the end of the Ottoman Empire,” he said, “and it’s getting worse.” Yet US influence in the region “is at its lowest ebb in 40 years,” he added. That spells trouble ahead for America’s next leader.
“The problems that emanate from the Middle East can’t be contained in the Middle East,” he said. “We know that intellectually, but there’s a tendency to want to put a pillow over our heads.”
Neither candidate has been specific about how to deal with the mess. But Mattis is right: America will have to deal with it eventually — or pay a steep price.
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