Syrian Conflict’s Toll Pressures Allies

Reading very well-reasoned articles like this one from the Wall Street Journal, do people still see Obama's foreign policy strategy in the Middle East as a success? As it becomes more and more clear that Kerry cannot achieve Obama's goals, does this indicate tactical failure, or is the overall strategy wrong? Also, I'm curious what people think of the statement by Robert Ford, the Obama administration's former ambassador to Syria: "I think the Iranians’ No. 1 interest in the Middle East is getting the Americans out of the region."

http://www.wsj.com/articles/syrian-conflicts-toll-pressures-allies-1456107569?cb=logged0.7896170497406274