re: What would you have done post-Cold War to prevent endless Middle East intervention?

Set federal defense contractors up with stronger public transparency requirements. Require stronger federal commitment to domestic energy production with incremental foreign energy trade tariffs. Hold despots (Libya, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Faux-Palestinians, China) and stateless harbors of radicalism (Afghanistan, Pakistan) in check with a very firm standing agreement of non-interference. Monroe Doctrine 2 or some such. Only its terms are not limited to military interference. Penalty of violation is a glowing desert that can’t be walked on for two centuries.