I keep hearing and reading from liberal critics that the U.S. "has made a mess out of the Middle East", as if that part of the world was a pristine utopia (flying kites and all), a glistening, delicate china shop...before the great big bull of the U.S. came charging in and just mucked things all to hell.

What world were these people living in? How can you break something that's already broken?

The Middle East for the past fifty years has been a travesty in terms of literacy, human rights, violent conflict, political tyranny, and religious fundamentalism.

We didn't set the place on fire...it was already aflame.