The latest conflict in Gaza, and the challenges it poses to the Obama Administration, is the latest data point on a long line of history between the United States and the Middle East. Policy decisions there have profound implications on our global alliances, govern the price of oil, make or break presidencies, and draw us into war. Joining The Takeaway to explain what can we draw from our history in the region is Patrick Tyler, former reporter for The Washington Post and New York Times and author of A World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East—from the Cold War to the War on Terror.