The strategic flux.

Byline: Samson Simon Sharaf

During the past decade, the pace of international events in West, South and Central Asia has been hectic. Like oscillating molecular clusters in water, constantly bonding and un-bonding, discerning who is who, and with who, keeps changing at random. This strategic flux started from the Middle East where USA, Israel, and Saudi Arabia took joint responsibility for bringing democracy to Syria. ISIS was formed and operated with impunity. After millions of casualties and colossal human tragedy, the conflagration can only worsen. The region could soon slip into its deepest crises.

Syria became a melting pot of rivalries, fratricidal wars, non-state actors and a reality that 'Arab Muslims are still competing for their versions of identity, allowing foreign powers to operate in a vacuum they create. At the start of this engineered spring, an Arab commentator summed up the complexity commenting, 'Iran is backing Assad. Gulf States are against Assad! Assad is against Muslim Brotherhood and Obama are against General Sissi. But Gulf States are pro Sissi; which means they are against Muslim Brotherhood. Iran is pro Hamas but Hamas is backing Muslim Brotherhood! Obama is backing Muslim Brotherhood yet Hamas is against US! Gulf States are pro US. But Turkey is with Gulf States against Assad; yet Turkey is pro Muslim Brotherhood against General Sissi! And General Sissi is being backed by the Gulf States.'.

After President Obama's lukewarm visit to Saudi Arabia, President Trump reset the template in ME. Rapprochement with Iran came to an end and put under sanctions. Sissi became a darling and Saudi Arabia and UAE got tangibly closer to Israel and India. Turkey that had shot down a Russian aircraft got closer to Russia to the extent of even opting for S 400 Air Defence System. The UAE-KSA imposed war in Yemen and sanctions against Qatar confused the situation. Recent drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities from the direction of Iraq opened a new front compelling some critics to comment that Israel after dumping ISIS could be tacitly supporting Iran. This runs panic in UAE-KSA nexus.

There was also a spring in Ukraine; since reversed by its Actor President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelensky supported by his experienced Prime Minister. When this Rubicon was crossed, Russia reacted by annexing Crimea. Hence there was also a likelihood that in future USA had to inevitably confront a growing standoff with Russia. It altered relations in...

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