The Developments and Events of the Arab Spring - Case Study Example

International Conflict: The Arab Spring The Arab Spring refers to the wave of protests and demonstrations that hit the Arab world nearly five years ago, spreading fast across the countries of the Arab League and its surroundings (Robicheau). The mass uprisings witnessed in the Middle East during the Arab Spring spurred a great deal of competition for regional domination even as the conventional order continued to shake; Iran has always been a major actor in the politics of the Middle East. Evidently, Iran has great interest in the continued viability of its besieged Syrian allies, the Saudi role in Bahrain as well as the leadership turnover in its traditional competitor Egypt. Iran has been mostly intent in the outcome of many risings in the Middle East region, especially if they affect its pursuit of regional hegemony (Douglas et al. 13). Iran has remained relatively unaffected by the wave of uprisings that swept across the Arab world, particularly because of numerous deep-seated structural factors that have contributed to its “immunity to the 2011 Arab spring fever” (Metghalchi 2). Internal divisions in Iran’s opposition have greatly impeded its effectiveness; today, the Green Movement, which was long hailed as the solution to Iran’s democratic future by observers, is too divided and ambiguous to constitute the primary driver for change in the country. The army’s strong backing of Iran’s authoritarian regime has also cushioned the country from the effects of the Arab Spring; the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps have remained steadfast in their support for the Iranian government over the years. Furthermore, Iran’s oil wealth seems to be working against the country’s chances for democratic governance like the case in most Arab states; soaring oil prices have kept Iran’s authoritarian government firmly in place. Nevertheless, Iran is undoubtedly the biggest loser following the developments and events of the Arab Spring; geo-strategically, the situation in the Arab world has changed for the worse for Iran, particularly because its popularity has dropped in the aftermath of the uprisings. Increasingly, “Iran finds its revolutionary message diluted and overtaken by events” (Chubin 5); with Iran’s only ally, Syria, tumbling, Iran’s confidence is also declining and the country no longer has an audience for its resistance slogans. The international society was quick to take stands with regards to the unfolding Arab Spring, with major global powers like the pro-democracy west comprised of the US and its allies backing civilian uprisings as a way of pushing for regime change in the region. The US has been particularly interested in the Syrian case, because of Syria’s close relationship with Iran; the joint ventures between the two countries have attracted the US’s involvement in the Syrian civil war. The US has intervened in the Syrian case through a two pronged-strategy by working to destabilize, delegitimize and isolate the country through sanctions and by supporting the civil society activists and external opposition organizations. Causes of the Arab Spring The wave of social protests that shook the Arab world in the wake of the Arab Spring leading to the tumbling and destabilization of long-standing governments in the region has been attributed to many factors. Principally, the Arab Spring has been interpreted as the consequence of years of cruel and dictatorial political systems, unsuccessful economic policies as well as social alienation and dissatisfaction of populations (Aissa 2). According to Abdelbaki (187) the revolution in Arab states began as a series of popular movements “to protest against the economic, social and political conditions” in those countries. Generally, a vast majority of the population of the Arab world hope for political freedom and economic opportunities as well as an economic constitution that promotes both market freedom and equitable social development. The Arab Spring is “a popular rejection of the "uncivil" Arab state, which represents the historically-discontinuous and colonially-imposed oppressive state apparatus on the Arab world” (Ismael & Ismael 229). The economic models in most Arab countries have been ineffective in establishing sustainable and competitive economies; the IMF and World Bank’s austere and stifling policies only worsened the economic situation in the countries affected by the Arab Spring. Political dissatisfaction in the Arab world was also high; populations in the region have been marginalized politically, particularly in the process of power transfer. Consequences of the Arab Spring The Arab Spring had many consequences for the individual Arab world countries, and the entire Middle East region; for the individual Arab Spring-affected states, deposition of governments and rulers was inevitable. For instance, when the Tahrir Square occupants forced Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak out of office, it set the precedent for the deposition of other governments in the region (Fürtig 4). In response to this trend, policy makers in most of the Arab Capitals adopted violent measures to try and curb turmoil that, to prevent the spread of the uprisings; for instance, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain adopted hard line stands against their citizen’s grievances. The Arab uprisings had dire consequences for the Arab world, particularly because they resulted to the establishment of a new socio-economic and political situation while instigating the ongoing shift in power balance between states in the region. In the words of Panayiotides (21), “the "Arab Spring" has altered the balance of power in the Middle East”; states in the Arab world have increasingly become weak and fragile, due to the emergence of a new security order and regional reconfiguration. The internal dynamics of protest and political change unleashed in the region, as a result of the Arab Spring, have completely influenced the shift in the political order of the Arab world; the region is now faced with various security challenges not only from neighboring countries such as Israel and Turkey, but also in their national policies and socioeconomic dynamics. Arab citizens are now more conscious of their capacity to mobilize, rebel and vote than before the uprisings; this has instigated change and transformation in the power and capacity of Arab societies. Events of the Arab Spring When the Tunisian street vendor Mohamed El Bouaziziz’s set himself on fire in a desperate protest back in 2010, his act of desperate protest exposed the Tunisian citizen’s extensive discontent and frustration with the status quo. This act triggered a series of anti-government demonstrations throughout Tunisia, which later forced the then President Ben Ali into exile. Following Bouazizi’s death and the Tunisian revolution, a wave of protests arose and spread throughout the Arab world; as a result of these uprisings, many Arab states including Egypt, Libya and Yemen have experienced forced leadership changes. These protests, riots and demonstrations have also been witnessed in other Arab states such as Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman, among others; Syria is still caught up in a terrible civil war up to date. Current Situation in Syrian Uprising The Syrian uprising that started in 2011 with anti-government protests in provincial areas degenerated into a full-scale civil war, following the escalation of the government-opposition conflict. The Syrian conflict still remains unresolved presently, despite promises for a possible compromise being reached between the Syrian opposition and Bashar al-Assad’s regime; the war between the warring factions has escalated beyond measure. Negotiations between the Syrian National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and the Opposition forces have not been fruitful as issues have been raised with the legitimacy of the process, particularly given that not all opposition groups were involved. Political divisions and the dearth of a unified military strategy among opposition groups have greatly inhibited the formation of a transitional government in Syria up to date. While the US, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been supporting different opposition groups, Russia and Iran have extended their support for the al-Assad regime; international support for the different sides of the conflict only serve to further escalate the crisis. Works Cited Abdelbaki, Hisham H. The Arab Spring: Do we need a new theory? Modern Economy, 4.3 (2013): p.187-196. Aissa, El Hassane. The Arab Spring: Causes, Consequences, and Implications. USAWC Strategy Research Project. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2015 Chubin, Shahram. Iran and the Arab Spring: Ascendancy Frustrated. GRC Gulf Papers. 2012. Web. 23 Feb. 2015 Douglas, Crystal et al. The Arab Uprisings: Causes, Consequences, and Perspectives—An Extended Summary of a Panel Discussion with Rami Khouri. ICAT. 2014. Web. 23 Feb. 2015 Fürtig, Henner. Iran and the Arab Spring: Between Expectations and Disillusion. GIGA. 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2015 Ismael, Jackueline S., & Ismael, Shereen T. The Arab Spring and the uncivil state. Arab Studies Quarterly, 35.3(2013): p.229-240.  Metghalchi, Nazanine. Is Iran immune from the Arab spring? Policy Brief No. 99. n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015 Panayiotides, Nicos. Is the "Arab Spring" Israels Winter? Strategic Instability in the Middle East. International Journal on World Peace, 29.1(2012): p. 21-40.  Robicheau, Daniel. The ‘MENA’ region and the International Monetary Fund. London Progressive Journal. 2013. Web. 23 Feb. 2015 Read More