United States should keep a military presence I'm the Middle East.

"A unjust war/presence due to it being immoral" The invasion in Afghanistan was in response to the attacks on September 11th. What we also have to understand is that foreign fighters from other Middle Eastern countries flocked to Afghanistan to fight the United States. That being said, we have no idea what intelligence the United States received in regards to the war. I know that we invaded Iraq, and one of the reasons for the invasion included Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). Saddam has been known to use Chemical Weapons against his people and Chemical Weapons are classified as WMD's. I know that no WMD's were found, but Iraq was a breading ground for terrorist organizations. Who do you think we fought after Saddam's regime fell, terrorists right, where did they come from? I disagree with you in regards to our invasion to be unjust and immoral. Is our strategy working, not really. Our initial invasion in Afghanistan did not have the political correctness it has today. It did not take us long to take over Iraq, fighting terrorist however is a totally different war. We almost won in Afghanistan, but the enemy got stronger as we changed our rules of engagement. "Why is the U.S. in the Middle East and what is the tangible goal and effect that the U.S. hopes to achieve in their intervention and presence?" Well, we need to look into military strategy. What fuels any modern military? Oil is an extremely valuable resource especially when fighting a war. We were at war with Afghanistan, and we needed to ensure we can fuel the war at a lower cost. As for an end game strategy, what do you think would happen if we pulled all military out of the region? Another super-power, maybe China or Russia, will wiggle their way in, install their own dictators, and establish a presence there. Russia already relies on Syria to sell military weaponry and technology. The United States understands there is a global interest in the region, and it is in our best interest to also be involved. That pretty much sheds some light on why we keep installing dictatorships in that region. Its simply a military strategy. "A just war can only be waged as a last resort" We were attacked on 9/11. I believe you disagree with the way we engaged in the war. The United States could have beefed up its Clandestine operations and just dropped bombs on all the enemies. We could have dismantled much of their capabilities using our advanced technology, but civilian casualties would also rise. Terrorism is a real threat, there are plenty of other countries around the world that are attacked. The United States has been attacked numerous times by terrorist organizations, and Benghazi is a recent example. You need to understand our enemy and their end game. Terrorist organizations constantly recruit, they have extremely radical ideologies, and they in some sects, believe they need to start WWIII for their God to come to this world. We are at war with terrorism, there is no doubt about that. If other countries would unify (China and Russia), then this would would be a must lesser burden on the United States. But, superpowers are so busy fighting proxy wars with each other. Do you think Russia will forget our involvement in Afghanistan when they tried to invade? As for additional strategy, if the United States has control over the main oil supply to the world, we maintain ourselves as the dominant military superpower in the world. No country can sustain a war with the United States without large quantities of fuel. "The US. used a number of impossible demands to justify their intervention. For example demanding that Pakistan hand over all Taliban and Al Quaeda personnel" In all honesty, Pakistan could have done a much better job cooperating with the United States. Nearly all military supplies are transported through Pakistan, and it is unbelievable how much stuff they have stolen from the United States. The United States has numerous ongoing investigations into the theft of tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars worth of military supplies. We also pay their government so much money. Pakistan is a training ground and rally point for most of the forces the United States fights in Afghanistan. In conclusion, I would just like to point out that we should keep a Military Presence in the Middle East, so I will briefly explain my position. There is constant turmoil in the Middle East, I hope we can agree with that. Since the Middle East supplies much of the worlds oil, that turmoil can impact oil markets which could affect a countries economy. Not all countries have the oil reserves the United States has. The United States spread wealth around the world through globalization, and we rely on other nations and their markets to keep our market strong. If the Middle East decided to hold oil ransom from the rest of the world, what do you think would happen? Think about that for a second! Price of fuel will skyrocket. Shipping would cost more, therefore the prices of goods would skyrocket. Wages would remain the same, yet people will need to pay much more for goods, and to travel too and from work. This could actually cripple any economy. I believe that alone is a valid reason to keep a presence there. Armed forces is not the only way you can destroy a country. Economic war is probably the single biggest threat to the United States. The best way to fight the United States is by disrupting its economy, what better way to do that then through oil. Our nation consumes so much oil, and I believe as we come closer to energy independence, we can start pulling out of the Middle East, but we should still maintain some form of presence for the sake of other countries around the world. If you need more, I will gladly bring forth more reasons. By the way, did I mention that most of the worlds terrorism and extreme ideology spawns out of that particular region? Take care.