Arab Spring (click here)
In the three years since the outbreak of the Arab Spring, a few states have made halting progress in their transitions away from authoritarian rule. Nevertheless, political uncertainty and violence will probably increase across the region in 2014 as the toppling of leaders and weakening of regimes have unleashed ethnic and sectarian rivalries that are propagating destabilizing violence.
In Syria, the ongoing civil war will probably heighten regional and sectarian tensions. Syria has
become a proxy battle between Iran and Lebanese Hizballah on one side and Sunni Arab states the other. Fear of spillover has exacerbated sectarian tensions in Iraq and Lebanon and will add to
the unrest. The influx of over two million Syrian refugees into neighboring countries will continue to
impose hardships, particularly on Jordan and Lebanon....
It is quite lengthy this year in regard to the Arab Spring. It states there are still ungoverned spaces, economic hardship, turmoil associated with transitional governments, in particular Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood. Renewed unrest as the governments of 2011 created disillusionment.
And last the continued negative view of the USA.
...Negative Views of the United States. Some of the transitioning governments are more skeptical than before the Arab Spring about cooperating with the United States. They are concerned about protecting sovereignty and resisting foreign interference, which has the potential to hamper US counter terrorism and other efforts to engage transitioning governments. Additionally, the unhappiness of some Arab Gulf States with US policies on Iran, Syria, and Egypt might lead these countries to reduce cooperation with the United States on regional issues and act unilaterally in ways that run counter to US interests....
There is a problem for the USA in the Middle East among those countries still considered allies, such as Saudi Arabia and other countries along the Persian Gulf. Iran. Syria. Egypt under the Muslim Brotherhood are all Shia. So the Arab Gulf States unhappy with USA policy with these countries are Sunni.
Is there a legitimate place for the USA in the Middle East other than with Israel and Jordan? The Shia don't really seem interested in having the USA conduct war except for the Maliki government which we already know rejects Sunni involvement. The Sunnis are unhappy because the USA sees it's place among the Shia nations as well as their own. Now, you'll excuse me, but there are two heads to this snake and it is not getting easier to resolve the poison.
The countries of the Middle East that once had Western dictators were accepted by the Sunni nations simply because they were Sunni as well. Saddam Hussein was a Sunni Arab. Quaddafi was Bedouin which is an ancient culture that exists without question in the Middle East. Mubarak was a Sunni Arab.
There is no way to impose a generous spirit of acceptance in the Middle East. The nations are divided along ethnic lines regardless of their outward civility toward each other. The only way to resolve the ethnic divides in Iraq is to allow the country to self-determine it's borders. It is happening already. It is happening in a short period of time. The only people at this point unhappy are the American Neocons.
In the three years since the outbreak of the Arab Spring, a few states have made halting progress in their transitions away from authoritarian rule. Nevertheless, political uncertainty and violence will probably increase across the region in 2014 as the toppling of leaders and weakening of regimes have unleashed ethnic and sectarian rivalries that are propagating destabilizing violence.
In Syria, the ongoing civil war will probably heighten regional and sectarian tensions. Syria has
become a proxy battle between Iran and Lebanese Hizballah on one side and Sunni Arab states the other. Fear of spillover has exacerbated sectarian tensions in Iraq and Lebanon and will add to
the unrest. The influx of over two million Syrian refugees into neighboring countries will continue to
impose hardships, particularly on Jordan and Lebanon....
It is quite lengthy this year in regard to the Arab Spring. It states there are still ungoverned spaces, economic hardship, turmoil associated with transitional governments, in particular Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood. Renewed unrest as the governments of 2011 created disillusionment.
And last the continued negative view of the USA.
...Negative Views of the United States. Some of the transitioning governments are more skeptical than before the Arab Spring about cooperating with the United States. They are concerned about protecting sovereignty and resisting foreign interference, which has the potential to hamper US counter terrorism and other efforts to engage transitioning governments. Additionally, the unhappiness of some Arab Gulf States with US policies on Iran, Syria, and Egypt might lead these countries to reduce cooperation with the United States on regional issues and act unilaterally in ways that run counter to US interests....
There is a problem for the USA in the Middle East among those countries still considered allies, such as Saudi Arabia and other countries along the Persian Gulf. Iran. Syria. Egypt under the Muslim Brotherhood are all Shia. So the Arab Gulf States unhappy with USA policy with these countries are Sunni.
Is there a legitimate place for the USA in the Middle East other than with Israel and Jordan? The Shia don't really seem interested in having the USA conduct war except for the Maliki government which we already know rejects Sunni involvement. The Sunnis are unhappy because the USA sees it's place among the Shia nations as well as their own. Now, you'll excuse me, but there are two heads to this snake and it is not getting easier to resolve the poison.
The countries of the Middle East that once had Western dictators were accepted by the Sunni nations simply because they were Sunni as well. Saddam Hussein was a Sunni Arab. Quaddafi was Bedouin which is an ancient culture that exists without question in the Middle East. Mubarak was a Sunni Arab.
There is no way to impose a generous spirit of acceptance in the Middle East. The nations are divided along ethnic lines regardless of their outward civility toward each other. The only way to resolve the ethnic divides in Iraq is to allow the country to self-determine it's borders. It is happening already. It is happening in a short period of time. The only people at this point unhappy are the American Neocons.
