“Asked what the next president’s priority should be in the Mideast, Ross doesn’t hesitate. It is, he says, ‘adopting policies with those who have been our partners to improve their governance. Poor governance spawns rage and extremist ideologies.’ Countries where the risks of failing to improve governance converge with opportunities to do so are Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco, the Emirates and Bahrain.
“At the same time, Ross says, the United States is strategically obliged and well-served to ‘contest those who use terror, intimidation and violence,’ in the region, singling out Iran. But he stresses that neither the delicate, painstaking work of improving governance nor that of confronting Iran’s ever-growing threat can be achieved without partners. ‘The key for us,’ Ross says, ‘is to have partners, local partners, allies. If you withdraw, you’ll have no allies, no partners…'”