America's Middle East: How Washington brought ruin to the region

America's Middle East: How Washington brought ruin to the region Submitted by Hossam el-Hamalawy on Thu, 05/21/2026 - 12:16 Marc Lynch's new book says US foreign policy did not fail but was designed to keep the Middle East broken A Kuwaiti woman welcomes a US soldier with rose water on 27 February 1991 after allied forces rolled into Kuwait City (Christophe Simon/AFP) Off America’s Middle East by Marc Lynch is a book written against amnesia, and against the greasy consolations by which empires survive their crimes. It is also, improbably, a magnificent act of civic faith. Lynch begins in rage, but he does not remain there.