Turbulence Ahead: Key Challenges for the West in Navigating the New Middle East

The Arab world is experiencing a period of tremendous turmoil. Washington and its European partners continue to have profound interests in the region, including preventing terrorism, countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, maintaining the free flow of oil and gas, promoting Arab-Israeli peace, and advancing the dignity of the region’s people. But the pace of change sweeping the Middle East and North Africa have called old assumptions into question and posed fresh challenges for policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic. This brief paper outlines the major dynamics shaping the strategic environment, concluding with the dilemmas they pose for the West.