This is Intelligence Matters, with former acting director of the CIA, Michael Morrell.

Brought to you by Lockheed Martin.

Your mission is ours.

Do you buy into this argument that the Middle East is now less important to the United States

because we are net oil exporters?

So I think from an energy perspective, that is true.

I think as we look in the future and see the competition with China, the Middle East

strikes me as playing a more important role.

I worry sometimes that we're getting into a position where we're creating an axis of enemies.

So we'll sanction Russia or China or Iran or Syria.

And if the Middle East falls out of favor, they are likely to partner up.

And if the United States retrenches and pulls back from some of these areas, we create a vacuum.

And so what we think is good policy now, because it's not in our national security or economic

interest, made down the road, come back to Bydusubit.

Frank Verastro, for the last 20 years, has served in various senior roles at the Center for

Strategic and International Studies, all related to energy and national security.

His government service has included positions in the White House and at the departments of

Interior and Energy. In the private sector, he has worked for some of the largest oil and

oil related companies. He has written extensively on energy policy, oil and gas markets,

and security topics. We just sat down with Frank to talk about all things energy.

We'll be right back with that discussion after a word from our sponsor,

I'm Micah Morrell, and this is Intelligence Matters.

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