But if he cannot be persuaded by his own Cabinet officials, who will convince him? Not the American public. After 11 years of war Americans are sick and tired of the Middle East and its perpetual instability and violence. The president has known that all along, and has used that weariness to escape any real accountability for other mistakes he has made in the region.

I’m afraid the media now has the responsibility to encourage the president to act in our vital national security interests and the interest of humanity. The press, with numerous honorable exceptions, has shown little enthusiasm in the past for acting on behalf of the public by seriously scrutinizing the president’s national security decisions and holding him accountable for his mistakes. But now, with evidence of the calamity he has allowed to occur obvious and undeniable, perhaps more reporters will remember why they chose their profession — to help the public hold our leaders accountable for their policies and encourage them in their duty.