By Donald Rumsfeld

Ever since President Barack Obama took over, we've seen the Middle East become completely and utterly destabilized. From Iraq to Syria to Afghanistan, this president has watched as the region has gone up in flames.

It's just been really sad to see, especially when I saw firsthand what a stable and flourishing Middle East could actually look like. When I left my position as defense secretary in 2006, Iraqis — with a love for democracy just like our founding fathers — were refreshing the tree of liberty with the blood of practically everyone, not just tyrants.

At least four or five Iraqis were optimistic about their future, while the so-called elites in our country constantly talked up bad news.

And then Obama came in, and all hell broke loose.