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The Saudis are reliable defenders of the West’s diverse interests in the region, and have been America’s principal ally in the Middle East for more than seventy years. The confused notion that Saudi Arabia is synonymous with radical Islam is falsely based on the Western notion that “one size fits all.” Fundamentalists supporting the Islamic State in the Kingdom violate the rule of law at home, and the Saudis’ strong efforts to prevent the export of terrorism. Saudi senior leaders desire good relations with the West and see the Islamic State and Jihadist terrorism as threatening to their very rule. Through the safeguarding of the Holy Cities of Mecca and Medina, which remain open to tens of millions of foreign visitors and differing Islamic beliefs, the Kingdom has a unique window into the actions and motivations of radical fundamentalists who pass in and out of those always accessible cities. By sharing that intelligence, the Saudis greatly enhance America’s security.

Like it or not, the military option most unpopular with America’s voters and politicians may be its best. Bashar Assad may well be our only hope in fighting the various terrorist factions that are attempting to form an ISIS state. If America agrees that putting boots on the ground would be impractical and ineffective, then a self-governed “Syria State” must be the entity that reaches settlements with the various factions that are causing the mass migration of thousands of Syrians to Europe, the USA and elsewhere. The only solution is one that works with Russia and not against them. Our vacuum forced that hand, because we are no longer the lonesome superpower shaping Middle East foreign policy.

When the USA had a narrow set of interests during the Cold War era, acting prudently in favor of well-defined and communicated objectives, its actions were more effective. But as the objectives changed, and America attempted to democratize autocracies, the broadening of goals led to a corresponding weakening of results. A clear direction in the Middle East is imperative, not just to enhance Middle Eastern nation-state interests, but to protect US interests at home, as well as abroad.

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