Title: The Arab Spring: challenges to the US Middle East policy

Authors: Wahabuddin Ra'ees

Addresses: Department of Political Science, Faculty of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia, 53100 Kula Lumpur, Malaysia

Abstract: This study argues that the Arab World and the larger Middle East region are politically, strategically, and economically significant in the US foreign policy formulation. However, the 2011 Arab Spring poses serious challenges to Washington's interests and policy in the region. The Arab Spring entails political elite transformation in the Arab countries of the Middle East region. The Arab Spring could sweep into power the Arab nationalists and the Islamists. In the democratic Middle East, the effectiveness of the State of Israel card as the only democratic state will diminish. The study concludes that unless Washington in search of new allies adopts the approach of constructive engagement and inclusive democracy in the larger Middle East region, Iran will exploit the Arab street protests and thwart USA's interests and stability in the region.

Keywords: Arab Spring; revolutions; demonstrations; civil resistance; civil wars; popular uprisings; Middle East; elite structures; elite transformations; United States; USA; American interests; democratisation; constructive engagement; inclusive democracy; Arab nationalists; nationalism; foreign policies; policy formulation; political significance; strategic significance; economic significance; political elites; Islam; Islamic culture; Islamists; Israel; democratic states; new allies; Iran; street protests; political stability; Arab culture.

DOI: 10.1504/IJACMSD.2012.049130

International Journal of Arab Culture, Management and Sustainable Development, 2012 Vol.2 No.2/3, pp.185 - 198

Published online: 29 Jul 2014 *

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