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America’s nation-building exercise of the past twenty years was founded on self-contradictions that have tarnished US foreign credibility. The geopolitical framework for that policy has been “embrace and abandon,” a formula that has caused frustration, confusion and concern to America’s allies in the region and displaced many millions of young refugees. As America rethinks its interests in the Middle East, its primary concern is the elimination of domestic terrorism. The path forward replaces fear with hope and poverty with prosperity. Once security in the Middle East is attained, including a negotiated peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, the USA must respond with an “end- state” perspective to draw a comprehensive solution similar to the Marshall Plan. Going from promoting then dumping dictators to drawing a new manifesto for economic rebirth would mean that finally, the America is finally doing right in teeming, oil-rich desert lands where it did wrong for decades. Thomas J. Barrack Jr. is an international private equity investor and the founder and executive chairman of Colony Capital. He is also foreign policy and economic advisor to GOP U.S. Presidential candidate Donald Trump. The views expressed in this article are his own and do not reflect the campaign. HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_031723