Contrary to conventional wisdom in Washington, Turkey's prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is not interested in preserving his country's relationship with Israel, but is determined to bolster Turkey's standing in the Arab and Muslim world's at Israel's expense.

The Middle East has a way of forcing itself on the agenda of White House residents no matter their party.

As the war against terror began to unfold, South Korea and the United States appeared to be working at cross-purposes, and as the campaign progressed, these signs of divergence became gradually more evident.