U.S. Middle East envoy George Mitchell has what many people would consider a thankless task: taking on a panoply of complex antagonisms that are steeped in history and agitated by religious tensions, ambitions to acquire weapons of mass destruction, disputed land, war, competition for resources, statelessness, ethnic rivalries, terrorism and ideological jockeying for influence.

Yet, it is essential work.

Mitchell's mission has appropriately modest expectations, essentially listening to what all of the parties have to say. In subsequent trips, however, he will have to shift to the more arduous heavy-lifting that has characterized effective Middle East diplomacy and peacemaking in the past. It is a role that the United States, along with other countries, must take on to ensure that the region does not tumble into uncontrollable conflict, and threaten the stability and security of its neighbors, if not the rest of the world.

Such a massive effort requires an understanding of history, confidence, perseverance, fairness, creativity, clear bilateral and multilateral communication, cultural sensitivity, patience, a strategy, and a willingness to seek and listen to the advice of those with deep experience in Middle East issues. Mitchell is a good choice for the job.

Another person with a sizable set of relevant skills is retired Gen. John Abizaid, who led the U.S. Central Command, with responsibility for much of the Middle East, until 2007. He is now the Annenberg Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution.

Abizaid believes that the Obama administration's bid "has the potential to pay big dividends over time if we are not too anxious." He is pleased to see the initiative come so early in the new administration. It is also important, he says, to define realistic objectives.

Of course, the priorities that Abizaid recommends for the region will take years to accomplish. They are ordered in terms of the amount of time that he anticipates will be required and include: shepherding the Arab-Israel peace process toward substantive progress (a decade or more); stemming Shi'a extremism, engaging Iran and seeing the emergence of a more responsible system in that country (10 to 15 years); countering Sunni political violence, best exemplified by al-Qaeda (a generation); and reducing U.S. reliance on Middle East oil (a half-century).

To tackle those challenges, Abizaid advises, the United States has to organize itself in a way that conveys shared strategic interest to allies, friends, partners and adversaries, especially on "a planet that may be acquiring nuclear weapons faster than we can manage." He cannot think of anything worse than a nuclearized Middle East with those tensions unresolved.

So, what is the most that we can hope for during the first 100 days? Abizaid believes that the listening part is critical, but so is "understanding the art of the possible." He does not expect any breakthroughs in the first 100 days, but he anticipates that Mitchell will recommend to President Barack Obama a way ahead, with the promise of a better outcome than what we have achieved so far. Further, he believes that most Israelis and Palestinians are hungry for peace. Moving the process forward would be good for all, he says.

In dealing with Iran, Abizaid suggests that we need to understand first and foremost that Tehran is not a world power. It is a disruptive regional power that can be limited by the United States if Washington works with friends and allies.

But Abizaid also is thinking well beyond constraint. He believes that Iran has a chance to regain its position as an "important, positive and forward-looking state. It has been there before, offers a pragmatic history, and displays a diverse culture with many centers of power that continue to vie against the influence of the mullahs."

On the issue of Sunni extremism, Abizaid thinks that we have come a long way since 9-11, particularly in the area of improving cooperation among law-enforcement and intelligence agencies. But much works remains, notably the need to achieve a better consensus on the targets of our efforts.

It is vitally important, Abizaid says, for international cooperation to advance in a way that limits the wanton destruction of innocent lives by terrorists. Finally, regarding U.S. reliance on Middle East oil — the challenge with the longest timeframe — Abizaid says quite simply that we have been talking about fixing this problem for too long. It is time to move ahead swiftly with alternatives that will allow the United States to wean itself once and for all.

If I were seeking advice from someone with deep experience in Middle East to help the United States find its way through the long days, months and years ahead, I would begin with Abizaid's thoughtful assessment.

John C. Bersia, who won a Pulitzer Prize in editorial writing for the Orlando Sentinel in 2000, is the special assistant to the president for global perspectives at the University of Central Florida. Reach him at johncbersia@msn.com.