Bombs were loaded, warplanes were ready — but Trump was right to say 'no'

To the casual observer of geopolitics, the security crisis in the Middle East looks like an exercise in passivity. Our wealthy Gulf “allies,” “neighbors,” and “friends” sit atop billions of dollars of advanced military hardware. Their hangars are filled with American F-15s, British Typhoons, and French Rafales. Yet, when confronted by a rapid offensive from the Houthis in Yemen, these regimes frequently appeal to Washington for military intervention. They choose to outsource their defense rather than unleashing their own immense firepower.

For many American taxpayers and policymakers, this triggers an immediate and frustrated question. Why should U.S. troops protect countries that refuse to protect themselves?