Your link has several issues out of context.

The US was pretty much disinterested in the ME outside of support for Israel until the 1960's when the US started to depend on ME oil. To better understand the ME go to the CIA site and read each of the countries background and look at how the US was involved... try Iraq first https://www.cia.gov/library/publicat...k/geos/iz.html and then go country by country on the search at the top of the page.

You must keep in mind that the US was not a member of the League of Nations following WWI and following WWII the Cold War started simultaneously with the end of WWII along with the US and Turkey fighting a UN War in Korea. USSR, our Cold War enemy was busy in the ME as we were busy in Korea. Following the breakup of the Ottoman Empire that resulted due to the Empire being on the wrong side of WWI & WWII it was our Western European allies that managed the ME. The ME was a concern for Europe because control and management of the ME was essential to fuel another European War, America had plenty of oil and had no interest in the region.

It was during the Carter administration that we became very interested when they held US hostages through the end of the Carter administration. I'll agree that the US joined in with our Western European allies in "managing" the ME once America became dependant on the free flow of oil from the ME. Management included propping up dictators to keep the balance of power and to punish players that were getting too big for their britches.

Where your link is most flawed starts with the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq... now go to this link and view the documents from the UN involving Iraq in the years 1990 & 91 and take time to read each one and you will see there was no doubt that Saddam was given every opportunity to get into neighborhood balance... Security Council Resolutions

Following the defeat of Iraqi forces in the Gulf War the ceasefire agreement underlines the desire of the US as it relates to Iraq... we desired the tigers claws be clipped and not killed. We wanted a strong, or equally strong Iraq to balance out Iran so we demanded Saddam destroy his ability to scare the hell out of his neighbors and then he could go back to being a neighborhood asshole. It was his choice and every opportunity was given to him to be a neutral ME country but he wanted more.

Following the attacks of 9-11 President Bush changed the American ME policy stating, America will no longer prop up dictators, we will no longer manage countries in the ME region... we desire the people to strive for democracy and live in peace with their neighbors. Saddam just didn't get it, now do you get it?