Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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.
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.
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.
Three months into the Arab Spring and after the fall of the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, protests continue across the Middle East and North Africa and the region remains in a state of flux.
As protests continue throughout the Middle East and North Africa, the international community is seeking to curb the increasing violence in Syria, continue military engagement in Libya, and convince Yemen’s President Saleh to step down.
Although Yemen’s President Saleh has indicated a willingness to step down, the situation in Yemen remains unstable. Many protesters feel their demands are still not being met, even as al-Qaeda expands its presence in the country and Yemen’s economy continues to fail.
The revolution in Egypt continues, with protesters expressing their determination to take down key figures with connections to the old regime.
An orderly transition of power in Yemen that avoids creating a vacuum with the departure of President Saleh is critical in order to meet the demands of the protesters and maintain stability in the country.
The revolutions sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa are changing the relationship of people to their governments, with ramifications that could potentially be felt across the world.