[muawiyah]

North Africa achieved independence later than Mesopotamia and the Arabian peninsula due to the involvement of the French and British.

[Verginius Rufus]

Yes, but the Turks still ruled Iraq, Syria, and Palestine until the First World War, whereas they lost control of the other areas sooner. Libya became independent only in 1951 despite Italy having been one of the Axis powers (they gave up the Dodecanese sooner, in 1947). Even after the French let Tunisia and Morocco go, they tried to hold on to Algeria--Algeria did not become independent until 1962.

Truman's quick recognition of Israel was helpful, but he didn't create the state--it came into being through the efforts of its citizens.