Only half of the hawks are playing cynical power games, the rest of them think they are in the middle of a religious war as foretold by prophecy. Unless you understand that many of our leaders and armed forces are literally involved in a crusade, then you will never get a handle on middle eastern policy.

edit - and the most dangerous are those who don't believe, but claim faith for leverage. Those are the people who will go into a 'final war' with an eye on the spoils. The true believer doesn't believe there will be spoils at that point.