Violence has cropped up again in the Middle East in recent days, as Russia has carried out military strikes against ISIS, which opposes of Syria's ruling regime. ISIS also opposes the United States, so you might assume our government would be in favor of those military strikes. But as with everything involving the Middle East, the reality is a lot more complex.
"I actually feel that there is a lot that's positive for our national interest, in no way defending the immorality of the regime. But in the real world, we have to deal with governments even today that are not ideal," says foreign policy contributor Art Cyr.
Art Cyr is a professor of political economy and world business and director of the Clausen Center for World Business at Carthage College in Kenosha.
