"Never allowing the experts, the people who understand the region to have a say."
The condescension of Risen and the career employees whose case he pleads is breathtaking.
These people "understand the region" so well that over the course of the presidencies they let Iran and Afghanistan fall to murderous mullahs, and let Al-Qaeda run rampant, leading to 9/11.
You don't suppose these were the same dumba$$e$ that "helped" Jimmy Carter, do you? (note sarcasm tag attached)