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  4. Militancy and the Arc of Instability
  5. Militancy and the Arc of Instability in the Middle East and North Africa
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Militancy and the Arc of Instability in the Middle East and North Africa

The Middle East faces a continuation of conflicts that many thought were coming to an end.

The Arab uprisings of 2011 created unexpected opportunities for religious radicals. Although many inside and outside the region initially saw the uprisings as liberal triumphs, illiberal forces have benefited disproportionately.

In Tunisia, formally marginalized jihadi-salafi groups appealed for mainstream support, and in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood triumphed in elections. Even in Saudi Arabia, not known for either lively politics or for political entrepreneurship, a surprising array of forces praised the rise of “Islamic democracy” under a Muslim Brotherhood banner.

Yet, at the same time, the Arab uprisings reinforced regional governments’ advantages. The chaos engulfing parts of the region convinced some citizens that they were better off with the governments they had, and many governments successfully employed old and new tools of repression to reinforce the status quo.

In the Middle East, conflicts that many thought were coming to an end will continue, as will the dynamism and innovation that have emerged among radical and opposition groups. To face the current threats, governments will need to use many of their existing tools skillfully, but they will also need to judge what tools will no longer work, and what new tools they have at their disposal. The stakes could not be higher.

Alterman 01 from CSIS on Vimeo.



Introduction: The Changing Geopolitical Landscape
Jon B. Alterman
Jihadi-Salafi Rebellion and the Crisis of Authority
Haim Malka
Key Elements of the Counterterrorism Challenge
Thomas M. Sanderson with Joshua Russakis and Michael Barber
Tunisia: Confronting Extremism
Haim Malka
Egypt: The Search for Stability
Jon B. Alterman and William McCants
Saudi Arabia: Islamists Rising and Falling
Jon B. Alterman and William McCants
Conclusion
Jon B. Alterman

About this Project

Religious Radicalism after the Arab Uprisings is a joint project of the Middle East Program and the Transnational Threats Project. We are grateful to the government of Singapore and the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency for their generous support of this study.

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Middle East Notes and Comment: Radicalism Four Years into the "Arab Spring"
By Jon B. Alterman
December 15, 2014
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Introduction: The Changing Geopolitical Landscape
By Jon B. Alterman
December 15, 2014
Book
Jihadi-Salafi Rebellion and the Crisis of Authority
December 15, 2014
Book
Tunisia: Confronting Extremism
December 15, 2014
Book
Egypt: The Search for Stability
By Jon B. Alterman
December 15, 2014
Book
Saudi Arabia: Islamists Rising and Falling
By Jon B. Alterman
December 15, 2014
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Conclusion: Religious Radicalism after the Arab Uprisings
By Jon B. Alterman
December 15, 2014
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December 15, 2014

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    • Militancy and the Arc of Instability
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Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program

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Religious Radicalism after the Arab Uprisings
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Radicalism Four Years into the “Arab Spring”
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Egypt: The Search for Stability
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Middle East Notes and Comment: Radicalism Four Years into the "Arab Spring"
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