To borrow a line from James Carville, it’s the oil, stupid.  Much of the commentary on the Egyptian uprising has failed to address the underlying strategic issue for United States foreign policy:  our dependence on Middle Eastern oil.  It is our continued dependence on Middle Eastern crude oil that compels Washington to remain deeply engaged in a region which, according to poll after poll, is rabidly anti-American.

Relative to other states in the region, Egypt is not a major oil exporter.  But Egypt has been a stable ally of the U.S. in a turbulent region for the last thirty years.  Egypt fought alongside U.S. forces during the Gulf War and has honored its peace treaty with Israel, thus preventing another major…