There’s plenty of precedent: Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush all bid for a Middle East legacy during their final months. In the end, Obama’s final decisions on the Middle East may be driven by another drama: the Barack and Bibi endgame. Ten or 20 years from now, Obama could find himself heralded as the grandfather of Middle East peace. Mavens of Middle East diplomacy point out that an Obama plan could do far more harm than good in the short term. To begin with, it could hamstring any attempt by the new president to rescue the failing U.S. position in the larger Middle East; if that’s Hillary Clinton, Obama may be pressed to consult her.

Source: Washington Post September 04, 2016 23:37 UTC