United States Needs to Rebalance the Middle East

The United States should strive to balance power between Saudi Arabia and Iran

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki shakes hands with U.S. President George W. Bush (L) during a joint press conference in Baghdad on Dec. 14, 2008. Thaier Al-Sudani/AFP/Getty Images

Haider al-Abadi made his first visit to the White House April 14 as the prime minister of Iraq and requested expedited delivery of U.S. weapons and F-16s to fight ISIS.

The prime minister’s trip to Washington offered an opportunity for the White House to refine not only its policy toward Iraq but also to resolve how Iraq fits within a broader strategy for the Middle East. 

Currently, Washington’s regional policy is narrowly focused on achieving three objectives: the defeat of the ISIS, principally in Iraq and then in Syria; neutralization of other extremist groups in the region that could threaten to the United States or our allies; and the successful conclusion of a nuclear agreement with Iran.

A weakened Iraq has resulted in intensified regional competition between Iran and the Sunni powers of the Gulf.