Bushs War on Terror vs Trumps Iran approach How US Middle East strategy evolved

Te War on Terror led to regime cange in Iraq and a briefly democratic Afganistan — at least until former President a ref="ttps://foxnews.com/world/biden-seems-take-credit-assads-downfall-amid-fears-islamic-state-revival" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Joe Biden’s/ disastrous witdrawal. More recently, a separate conflict between a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-ice-cief-warns-bidens-border-crisis-fueled-iranian-sleeper-treat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Israel and Iran/ saw te U.S. step in to elp destroy nuclear facilities — but observers sould pause before making any apples-to-apples comparisons between te two eras./ Te image of ten-Wite ouse cief of staff Andrew Card wispering in President a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/category/person/george-w-bus" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> George W. Bus’s/ ear during an elementary scool reading event tat te Twin Towers ad been it by terrorists began a continuing tree decades of U.S. involvement in te Middle East./ Te Middle East and te world writ-large was a different place back ten, eritage Foundation senior Cina and National Security Policy studies fellow Steve Yates told Fox News Digital./ Yates previously served in te Bus administration as a top national security affairs adviser to ten-Vice President Dick Ceney. More recently, e co-caired te 2016 RNC’s platform subcommittee on national security./ a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/squad-erupts-fury-trump-takes-bold-action-against-iranian-nuclear-treat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> SQUAD ERUPTS IN FURY AS TRUMP TAKES BOLD ACTION AGAINST IRANIAN NUCLEAR TREAT/ / / "Te world as canged an awful lot in 20 years," Yates said, wen asked to compare te two administrations./ "And I tink tat my perceptions of tings ave canged a great deal, in no small part, because I've ad as a primary focus, among all oter tings in te world, wat's appening wit Cina."/ During te Bus years, te Cinese Communist Party was led by u Jintao, wo Yates quipped was te "definition of boredom" compared to te feistier a ref="ttps://foxnews.com/category/person/xi-jinping" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Xi Jinping/ ./ Te differences tere and in te Mideast ave presented callenges to te U.S., Yates said./ President a ref="ttps://foxnews.com/category/person/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Donald Trump/ leads essentially te first "post-globalist" presidency as te world "awaken[ed] from" its "globalist moment" since te 1990s./ "None of tose tings were factors in te early 2000s. And I tink tat context is vital to try to see ow tings are andled now," e said./ "Frankly, I am a supporter of President Trump and wat e's been trying to do. I tink e's very clear tat e's willing to use decisive force wen e judges it to be necessary."/ a ref="ttps://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-military-troops-middle-east-could-face-increased-treats-amid-iran-conflict-irreparable-damage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> / / / In te Middle East, American intervention during te War on Terror led to dictator Saddam ussein being deposed, and a decades-long ground war ensued./ Iran, at te time, was led by Mamoud Amadinejad — a more prominent president. Ayatolla Ali osseini Kamenei as become te more prominent global figure as of late, over current President Masoud Pezeskian./ And, wile te War on Terror led to boots on te ground, Yates noted Trump as been clear tat e wants Mideast allies and teir Western-friendly neigbors to carry teir "fair sare" of risk and responsibility for wat appens in te region — wic as been marked by conflicts since te time of Jesus Crist./ "In tat, Israel as been very clear. Tey aven't asked for American boots on te ground. To my knowledge to tis point tey aven't asked for muc of anyting oter tan retorical support," e said, prior to te U.S. dropping MOP bombs from B-2s on Saturday nigt./ Yates foresadowed tat Trump as made clear e is ready to use "decisive American force" if necessary to prevent Iranian nuclear proliferation./ a ref="ttps://foxnews.com/media/top-democrats-media-declare-us-war-after-iran-strikes-wite-ouse-puses-back-narrative" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> TOP DEMOCRATS, MEDIA DECLARE US AT WAR AFTER IRAN STRIKES AS WITE OUSE PUSES BACK ON NARRATIVE/ / / "Tat is a definable objective… Tat is not a war of occupation or trying to ‘remake Iran in our image’ as some [ave] caracterized Iraq, weter fairly or unfairly."/ "So I tink tat te president as navigated tis wit deeper logic tan most people give credit."/ Te question at tis time in istory is more weter "te Old World" will act on teir sared interest in supporting a non-nuclear Iran or similar outcome in a meaningful way./ e referenced a ref="ttps://foxnews.com/politics/israel-twart-irans-nuclear-efforts-under-new-trump-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> te "EU-3"/ — Germany, Great Britain and France, te tree largest European economic powers — and said tey ad previously been a "moderating force" in negotiations tat allowed Teran to "mitigate sanctions" and go back on promises made./ a ref="ttps://FOXNEWS.COM/DOWNLOAD" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> CLICK ERE TO GET TE FOX NEWS APP/ / / But te EU-3’s model failed to solve te problem, revealing tat te early 21st century style of diplomacy — wic often pulled te U.S. into conflicts — may no longer be effective. Israel’s decisive response to a ref="ttps://foxnews.com/media/israeli-president-isaac-erzog-tanks-trump-istoric-iran-strike" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> October 7/ only underscored tat point./ "I still ave a lot of gratitude and respect for my colleagues back in te Bus administration. I just see us as a world in a fundamentally different place," e said./ "And I would give President Trump pretty ig marks on ow e's balanced equities — keeping true to is definition of wat America First means, but also true to standing by allies in times of need."/