The Arab uprisings of 2011 started out with a great deal of hope that old structures and institutions and mindsets were being cleared away and the revolutionaries have continued to struggle to ensure that their aspirations become part of the new structures. Dictators in Egypt and Tunisia have been dragged out of power, inspiring Arabs across the region to rise up against their leaders. So far, the monarchies of the region and Libya, Syria and Yemen are pushing back against the protesters, often using deadly force. In Libya, Syria and Bahrain, events have taken an interesting turn as we see quite different responses to the situation in each of these countries. In Libya, an alliance of US/EU and Arab League countries are supporting a military intervention to prevent civilian deaths under the ‘responsibility to protect’ doctrine. In Bahrain, the GCC countries led by Saudi Arabia have agreed to occupy Bahrain to restore stability. In Syria, President Assad is being coaxed by a variety of sources to implement reforms to meet protesters demands.
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