“The Tumultuous Decade”
On May 20th, the Middle East Institute will release my new
book “The Tumultuous Decade,” a book that brings
together a decade of Zogby Research Services (ZRS) of Arab, Turkish,
and Iranian public opinion. What follows is a discussion of the
background of and themes discussed in “The Tumultuous
Decade.”
The second decade of the 21st century began with two traumatic
events that would transform the Middle East. In fact, although the
seeds had been planted years earlier, 2011 proved to be a watershed
year for the people of the region. That year, the United States
hastened, as promised, its withdrawal from Iraq, leaving behind a
chaotic sectarian minefield ripe for Iranian exploitation. Also, 2011
witnessed the beginnings of what came to be known as the “Arab
Spring.”
The intervening years have not been kind to many of the region’s
peoples. In the aftermath of the U.S. withdrawal, Iraq, left in the
hands of a sectarian government led by Prime Minister Nuri al Maliki,
descended once again into civil conflict with the increasingly
disenfranchised Sunni Arab population reacting negatively to the
Maliki government’s deeply divisive policies. This planted the seeds
of resentment that ultimately spawned the phenomenon known as
Daesh.
Continue reading here.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article
are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of
the Arab American Institute. The Arab American Institute is a
non-profit, nonpartisan national leadership organization that does not
endorse candidates.
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