U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson during a visit to the mausoleum of the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Ankara, March 30, 2017 (AP photo by Lefteris Pitarakis).

Donald Trump is being drawn into the hot conflicts of the Middle East in ways that will define his presidency. Like the idealistic Barack Obama before he became president in 2009, Trump campaigned on promises that he would not allow the United States to get stuck in the region. Unlike Obama, Trump is confident that more military might will provide quick results, while showing little sign of preparing for postwar challenges or real disagreements with regional partners. Reality is catching up with the new administration. The Middle East has long proven its power to lure American leaders, often reluctantly, into […]