The Arab Awakening: America and the Transformation of the Middle East
The first portion of The Arab Awakening offers broad lessons by analyzing key aspects of the Mideast turmoil, such as public opinion trends within the "Arab Street"; the role of social media and technology; socioeconomic and demographic conditions; the influence of Islamists; and the impact of the new political order on the Arab-Israeli peace process.
The next section looks at the countries themselves, finding commonalties and grouping them according to the political evolutions that have (or have not) occurred in each country. The section offers insight into the current situation, and possible trajectory of each group of countries, followed by individual nation studies.
The Arab Awakening brings the full resources of Brookings to bear on making sense of what may turn out to be the most significant geopolitical movement of this generation. It is essential reading for anyone looking to understand these developments and their consequences.
About the author
Kenneth M. Pollack is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he isDirector of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy. Previously, he was Directorfor Persian Gulf Affairs at the National Security Council and spent seven yearsin the CIA as a Persian Gulf military analyst.
Daniel L. Byman is Research Director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policyat Brookings and a professor at Georgetown University's School of ForeignService. Previously, he served as a staff member on the 9/11 Commission andworked for the U.S. government.