Middle East not Obama's best: minister

An Abbott government minister has taken a swipe at Barack Obama over the US president's Middle East policy.

Handling the thorny issue would not be among "Obama's top 10 legacy items", Jamie Briggs told Sky News.

"I don't think it's been handled brilliantly since 2010, since the Arab Spring popped up. I think this issue has not been handled well by the Obama administration."