Ten years after a disastrous invasion of Iraq, the United States is weighing intervention in the Middle East again — this time in Syria. Every U.S. step for a decade in the region, has strengthened the Iranians and fomented Shiite-Sunni conflict.

When will U.S. leaders admit the nation is now more bumbler than superpower? The Middle East is in ever more turmoil. In the U.S. debate, most of the blame is conveniently laid at the feet of a single country, Iran.

Not that the regime steered by the mullahs is any kind of nice guy. Far from it. Among their worst sins is that they systematically oppress the aspirations of a very talented young generation of Iranians.