Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

Time to face the facts: Does President Bush deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?

Remember how everyone laughed when George W. Bush set out to transform the Middle East?

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
This picture taken on December 10, 2010 shows the front of the Nobel medal awarded to the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2010, jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiabo. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony began in Oslo Friday without guest of honour Liu Xiaobo, a jailed Chinese dissident who was represented by an empty chair at the event. Other Chinese dissidents, ambassadors from a number of countries, Norway's king and queen and other dignitaries were present as the ceremony opened in a flower-decked Oslo city hall. AFP PHOTO / SCANPIX - Berit Roald (Photo credit should read BERIT ROALD/AFP/Getty Images)
This picture taken on December 10, 2010 shows the front of the Nobel medal awarded to the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2010, jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiabo. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony began in Oslo Friday without guest of honour Liu Xiaobo, a jailed Chinese dissident who was represented by an empty chair at the event. Other Chinese dissidents, ambassadors from a number of countries, Norway's king and queen and other dignitaries were present as the ceremony opened in a flower-decked Oslo city hall. AFP PHOTO / SCANPIX - Berit Roald (Photo credit should read BERIT ROALD/AFP/Getty Images)
This picture taken on December 10, 2010 shows the front of the Nobel medal awarded to the Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2010, jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiabo. The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony began in Oslo Friday without guest of honour Liu Xiaobo, a jailed Chinese dissident who was represented by an empty chair at the event. Other Chinese dissidents, ambassadors from a number of countries, Norway's king and queen and other dignitaries were present as the ceremony opened in a flower-decked Oslo city hall. AFP PHOTO / SCANPIX - Berit Roald (Photo credit should read BERIT ROALD/AFP/Getty Images)

 

 

Best Defense is in summer re-runs. This item originally appeared on January 5, 2015.

Remember how everyone laughed when George W. Bush set out to transform the Middle East?

Well, he did. The actions of the United States have successfully bolstered the influence of Iran over the region. Now Iraq and Iran, who in the 1980s fought a long and bitter war, are reconciled!

AFP

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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