U.S. troops often find themselves in the middle as mediators.

NPR: Refugees Returning to Iraq Find Homes Occupied

Many British as well as American troops have suffered psychiatric problems after serving in the Middle East.

BBC: Virtual reality tackles 'shell shock'

Australia has nearly 2, 400 troops in Afghanistan with an additional 87 in the Middle East and North Africa.

WSJ: World Cheers Bin Laden Killing, Prepares for Strikes

David Petraeus' recommendations on Iraq, calling for a drawdown of American troops there to pre-surge levels by the middle of next July.

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Mr Bush is due to visit American troops in Qatar next week during his visit to the Middle East.

ECONOMIST: Still dangerous

But their withdrawal in early May exposed the weaknesses of the UN force, which was under-resourced and comprised troops, mainly from sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, with little experience of working together or of such operations.

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The UK's Middle Eastern moment appeared to be over, so when the Thatcher government rushed troops to Saudi Arabia in 1990 the British army had to announce that it no longer had desert pattern uniforms.

BBC: Baroness Thatcher's lasting legacy in Middle East

He proposes a one-year deadline for removing U.S. troops from Iraq, combined with direct negotiation with every country in the Middle East.

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U.S. troops need not be exposed to terrorists in order to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

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Regarding the tensions in the Middle East, Israel appears to be taking a very hard line against Hamas, including the likelihood of moving ground troops into the Gaza strip.

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