Fighting has been going on in the Middle East for as long as there is recorded human history of the region. It will never end. Some places have just been constantly fighting for as long as anyone can remember. Who benefits from these wars? Usually the guys selling the weapons... It doesn't ever work out so well for the guys forced into combat if they like it or not, they become nothing more than cannon fodder.

The US has strong relationships with several countries there and oil has always been the reason why. The sad truth is the US has enough oil that is untapped that those relationships wouldn't be necessary. But those worried about the environment fight to prevent it's extraction, just like rare earth minerals that we buy from China. There's plenty here...

Israel has every right to defend itself from Iran that pretty much vows to sweep them off the face of the earth. And they have close intelligence with the US because of common interests. Plus ever since the holocaust of World War 2 every civilized nation would defend them if came down to them being slaughtered yet once again.

I wish there were a simple solution in the Middle East, but there never will be.

What happened in Nigeria was horrible, all those lives needlessly lost... I think in most cases civilians don't want war, but some governments force you into service if you like it our not, conscription. If you don't comply in time of war they threaten to imprison or execute you. The world is a mess, and sadly it always will be a mess. Human greed and power lust combined with hatred over religion. In the end it's stupid, but many feel to accept that peace is far better than war.