*This article first appeared on my Substack. Check it out - plus many more - at the link below*
I was in college back when the Middle East conflicts had reached a second or third-round apex. In 2014-2015, Iraq was pretty hot (again), Afghanistan was warm, Iran was always in the background (as always), and, most relevant for me, the terror group ISIS was ramping up activities in Syria and the surrounding territories. I had friends who were in the military, relatives who had received Purple...