Europe isn\'t so scotch free (is that the right phrase?) from what I\'ve heard, Back in the late 1910s and early 1920s the bigger European countries were trying to get middle eastern lands. They often promised lands to 2 people, or set waring arab factions against each other for their own benefit. Iraq had a few revoloutions due to British Treaties and ruling in the early-mid 20th century. America wasn\'t really big into the middle east then. I think that if Europe had a bit of foresight we MIGHT not be in this little mess.
EDIT: Whoops, forgot the Crusades too, I mean what better way to form a realtionship with an area than to kill its people for some land that was holy 1000 years ago? What if the descendants of the mayans, or the aztecs, or the incas, or whoever controled Mexico City marched back into modern day Mexico City and tried to claim it for themselves because it was thier Holy Home Land ~500 years ago?