Today the middle east is at a crossroads and so is American policy in the region. Last December after 9 years of war, US troops left Iraq probably for good. The war in Afghanistan is winding down too as American soldiers begin to transfer authority to Afghan forces. As the Arab revolutions rippled across the region over the past year toppling the old order, America largely looked on from the sidelines. On top of it all, in light of the financial crisis, Americans are increasingly focused inward on jobs and the economy. So what will the future of American policy in the middle east look like? With so much uncertainty in the region, and so much changing from one day to the next, we look to the lessons of the past.

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“Make no mistake, our strong presence in the Middle East endures, and the United States will never waver in defense of our allies, our partners, or our interests.”

That was President Obama this past December, announcing the end of the Iraq war.

But with the US economy lagging, and Americans focused on domestic issues, some of America's closest allies in the Middle East are worried about America's commitment to their defense.

From Iraq and Iran to Afghanistan and Pakistan, we’ll examine what America's influence and intervention in the Middle East in the past can tell us about America's involvement in the region in the future.

Throughout the hour, Ray Suarez speaks with Ken Pollack and Michael Doran about the future of American policy in the Middle East. Ken Pollack is the Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution, and Michael Doran is a senior fellow also at the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution.