The Arab Spring has initiated a wave of change that will affect every aspect of society in the Middle East, including the Israel-Palestinian conflict and Egypt's influence in the Middle East and North Africa.
After the dismantling of the Mubarak regime’s State Security Investigations apparatus, questions remain about how the new National Security sector will differ from its predecessor and what security sector reforms will be implemented.
The uprisings sweeping across the Arab world will carry far-reaching—and difficult-to-predict—consequences for regional and international politics.
Regardless of how the situation evolves, Syria will not revert to its previous status quo, and any new order will have to take into account the new Arab demands for more accountable and democratic governments, freer societies, and more equitable socio-economic policies.
The killing of Osama bin Laden has revealed the fragmented nature of the Pakistani government and complicated U.S. negotiations regarding military aide and development assistance.
The Arab Spring has presented problems for Ankara’s foreign policy of zero problems with its neighbors. The outcome of the popular uprisings in neighboring Syria will ultimately have a significant impact on this policy and on the projection of Turkish power in the region.
While al-Qaeda remains a global threat, regional changes and the erosion of government support have left it diminished. It is likely to be replaced by ideas and causes that are more aligned with the realities of the twenty-first century.
Qaddafi has released hundreds of jailed Islamist terrorists who are now poised to exploit the chaos in Libya and directly threaten the security of both Libya and the United States.
Efforts at reform in Jordan have been blocked by a resilient class of political elites and bureaucrats, who fear that such efforts would move the country away from a decades old rentier system to a merit-based one.
The unrest and turmoil spreading across the Arab world has already changed the face of the Middle East and North Africa. Its impact will be measured best in decades, rather than months or years.