Why, when the United States had been attacked by Japan, and Britain wa

Why, when the United States had been attacked by Japan, and Britain was threatened by the possibility of a German invasion, did the Allied strategists decide to first commit American troops in North Africa?

Assess the wisdom of this strategy as you see it.

ANSWER
When the United States joined the war, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill agreed on a Europe first strategy. American interests required a secure Britain and friendly Atlantic sea lanes, both of which the Axis threatened. Churchill convinced Roosevelt that the Germans were too strong in France to invade at the time, but that Axis power in Europe could be attacked from the “soft underbelly” of the Mediterranean. North Africa needed to be secured as a launching base for this invasion of southern Europe.