Source:ET
The Arab Spring has turned into an ‘Arab Autumn’. The only exception in the Arab world is Tunisia where the Arab Spring has proved a great success and democracy is taking roots with a progressive and modern outlook. In contrast, in Egypt, where the influence of the military runs deep, General Sisi, after ousting the elected president Mohamed Morsi in 2014, has reverted to authoritarian rule. Autocratic meltdown is evident in Libya and countries of the Middle East are at different stages of transition. Yemen, as noted earlier, has collapsed and Syria is halfway there with large ungoverned spaces struggling hard to avert total breakdown despite avid support from Iran and Russia. Saudi Arabia, the icon of the Arab world, is engaged in a three-front battle. It is fighting the IS and al Qaeda, running a proxy war against Iran by supporting groups that are fighting Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the regime in Iraq and the Houthi tribesman of Yemen. It faces occasional resistance from its Shia community in the eastern part of the country. Some frustrated segments of Saudi youth are reported to have joined the IS. There is also pressure on the monarchy for reform and easing of restrictions on women and on freedom of speech. With oil prices falling and the US now able to export oil instead of being dependent on imports, the importance of oil-producing Gulf countries has diminished.
Categories: Asia