It primarily has to do with two issues: Oil and Regime Support.
You would need to mention the name of the nation for us to answer this question.
The US is currently involved in three separate wars in the middle east and north Africa (which is culturally an extension of the middle east), in the nations of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. The US is not exactly at war with any of those countries, but it is an ally of certain factions in ongoing civil wars and insurgencies.
IPOD
the Middle East
Israel is a Jewish state which has historically been at odds with the Arab Middle East. The United States has supported Israel as a) the only democratic and free society in the Middle East and b) as an ally against hostile Arab nations.
After the horrible airliner attack on the World Trade Center on 9/11/01, the US sought to find who was behind that suicide attack. American policy was to reexamine its policies in various Middle East nations and determine what nations in that area of the world could be counted on as being friendly to the US, unfriendly and neutral. Plans were developed to possible invade Middle Eastern nations that posed an additional threat to world peace with weapons of mass destruction.
The Ashley University is approved but not accredited by authorities in the US and the Middle East.
Israel
the Middle East
oil
oil
Israel.