"These truly biblical conflicts that have been plaguing that region for centuries keep coming back to haunt him."

That's how Slate's Fred Kaplan characterizes the tension and "the tragedy" of Barack Obama's presidency vis-à-vis the Middle East. He says Obama's efforts to steer clear of military force has created a perception that he avoids making hard decisions. So to what extent is it true?

Kaplan discusses his story for Foreign Affairs magazine, which takes a deep look at President Obama's foreign policy decisions based on interviews with officials within in his administration.

"This isn’t unique to Obama’s presidency. It’s going to be something that will plague all presidents for the next several decades, at least."

In the interview above, you'll hear a short excerpt from Obama's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in 2009. Kaplan reflected on it:

"He has remained remarkably true to the goals he laid out in his Nobel speech, in which he argued for the use of force when necessary."