This is not to suggest that broadening engagement with the region is an easy task. Anti-American sentiment runs high in many currents of Middle Eastern politics. Decades of U.S. support for repressive regimes have fueled deep suspicion of U.S. motives. Some local actors have refused to work with the United States, and a number will continue to do so. Nonetheless, the United States can neither support democratic transitions nor effectively pursue national security interests unless it builds relationships with much broader segments of Middle Eastern societies, and doing so should be a top priority of the next administration.
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