Yes.  We could have made friends with them.  We could have made friends with the Arabs.  We could have made friends with the Iranians.  We could have had friends and allies everywhere instead of enemies everywhere.  Yes, we let many, many opportunities, including Africa, slip through our fingers because all we know how to do is point a gun in someone's face and tell them to do what they're told.  We live in an interdependent world as if we're the only ones in it, letting opportunities slide all over the place.