Pompeo Trip Fails to Ease Questions Over U.S. Goals in Mideast - Bloomberg

Pompeo Trip Fails to Ease Questions Over U.S. Goals in Mideast - Bloomberg:

Secretary of State Michael Pompeo arrived in the Middle East a week ago on a mission to prove the Trump administration can be a reliable partner in tackling the region’s thorniest problems. He returns having failed to stifle doubts that have dogged the U.S. for years.

With stops in eight countries in eight days, Pompeo sought to hammer home how different President Donald Trump’s approach is from that of his predecessor Barack Obama: It will focus on countering, not embracing, Iran’s regime. Despite Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria, Pompeo said the U.S. is committed to finishing the fight there against Islamic State. The U.S., he argued, is a “force for good.”

But progress was slim. Missing throughout the trip was any concrete plan or vision for how to move beyond the problems that already bedevil the region -- from the 18-month diplomatic spat between the gas-rich state of Qatar and its Gulf neighbors to the investigation into the death of columnist Jamal Khashoggi, whose killing has become a hurdle for U.S.-Saudi ties.