After the Pivot: Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mick Mulroy on U.S. Middle East Policy

A'ndre and Ryan interview Mick Mulroy, Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East (2017-2019), to get his take on U.S. Middle East policy in the aftermath of Afghanistan.  Mick, whose time as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense required that he oversee Middle Eastern policy for the Defense Department, discusses why he was in favor of maintaining a residual force in Afghanistan and elaborates on the consequences for U.S. security policy in the broader region and for counterterrorism purposes. Mick does outline why he is confident in the United States' ability to manage Middle Eastern policy in light of the 'Pivot to Asia', and digs into his views on the Yemen Civil War and Saudi involvement with it. We also dive a bit into Mick's service as a CIA Paramilitary Operations Officer and what that work in conflict zones entailed, and we highlight Mick's current work with the Lobo Institute and his advocacy on the issue of ending child soldiering.