Al-Qa’eda has begun to harness the Arab revolts
Since the movement was launched by the self-immolation of a Tunisian street vendor, I have been a sceptic about this Arab Spring and its promise of delivering economic prosperity for all. When it comes to democratic institutions and the rule of law, the Middle East has been locked in a permafrost of repression since most of its states first proclaimed their independence. Which is why no one should be surprised that for all the commitment and sacrifices made by pro-democracy demonstrators in such disparate states such as Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Bahrain and Yemen, their chances of achieving their goals are fading by the day.
Take Yemen, a country that is already riven with half a dozen civil wars. It is more likely to experience another bout of brutal infighting than undergo radical political reform in the wake of President Abdullah Ali Saleh’s flight to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. In Bahrain, the intervention of the Saudi military has effectively crushed the opposition movement, while in Syria, President Bashar al-Assad is using his own forces to achieve a similar effect.
Libyan rebels now enjoy Nato’s full support in their efforts to overthrow Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. But we are still none the wiser about what type of government they intend to establish.
And what about Tunisia and Egypt, which initiated the uprising by overthrowing their long-serving presidents, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak? In Tunis there have been violent street protests after the interim government warned that Islamist parties could win elections planned for July, thereby squashing the democratic aspirations of January’s secular protestors. In Egypt, meanwhile, elections are due in September, but the conduct of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which runs the interim government set up after Mr Mubarak’s removal from office, has hardly inspired confidence among the protestors that these will result in a truly democratic government.
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