The Middle East, defined in broad terms to include both
Egypt and Iran, and the countries in between, remains the most unstable region
of the world. It includes very dramatic and intricate crisis, such as the ones
in Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and very fragile governance regimes, such as the
ones in Jordan, Iraq and Bahrain, without mentioning Saudi Arabia, which many
consider to be experiencing the initial symptoms of instability. It is also
home to serious ethnic and sectarian conflicts, as the Kurd situation, which
concerns several countries, the rivalries between Sunni and Shia power elites, and
the proliferation of extremist groups illustrate. The region is also deeply
affected by Israel’s policy towards the Palestinian people.
View from the West, the region has lost a good deal of its
strategic importance. Oil from the Middle East can now easily be replaced by
oil from other parts of the world, including the US and Canada. Oil is
therefore a much weaker argument when looking at the Western interests in the
region. Religious fundamentalism and its violent manifestations are still a
reason to pay attention to the region. But even in that domain, home-grown
fundamentalism in the EU and the US are now getting more attention than distant
threats that might be taking roots in the Middle East.
Also, from a trading perspective, the region is perceived as
a small market, notwithstanding the wealth available within some of its leading
circles.
The trend is therefore to switch the attention away from the
Middle East to other parts of the world.
No comments:
Post a Comment