Four years ago the Arab Spring looked like the start of a new era in Near East politics. A revolution in Tunisia spilled over into Egypt, then Syria, Lebannon and later Libya. Post-WWII authoritarian regimes were collapsing and new governments with the consent of the governed were at hand, or so we thought. 2015 arrives with the Near East mired in chaos. Egypt’s new government resembles its old one, Syria remains in civil war, and the ISIS threatens to further destabilize a region under pressure as it gains presence and territory. The United States is reconsidering military action in the region, and we all wondering where all that hope and change ran off to? (more…)
The Klenbort Project 