CIAO DATE: 10/2013
August 2013
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The political dynamics and violence that shape the current series of crises in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – and daily events in Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia, Syria, and Yemen – dominate the current course of virtually every aspect of these states including much of the current course of violence and instability in the region. Political dynamics and violence, however, are only part of the story. The current patterns of events have many underlying causes, and causes that vary sharply by country. The current pattern of politics, religion, and ideology are shaped by major tribal, ethnic, sectarian, and regional differences within each given nation. This is illustrated in a new Burke Chair analysis of the broader trends shaping unrest and instability in the region titled "The Underlying Causes of Stability and Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa: An Analytic Survey." The examination of the broader demographic, economic, and security trends in the MENA region in this report shows how critical these factors are in shaping public anger and discontent. They also show the critical role of the quality of governance, internal security systems, justice systems, and progress in social change in shaping and dealing with each nation’s problems.
Resource link: The Underlying Causes of Stability and Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa: An Analytic Survey [PDF] - 4.6M