One of the greatest unanswered questions after the massive and violent changes that hit the Middle East in 2011, known to some as the “Arab Spring” and to others as the “Islamist Winter,” is how the West failed to predict both cataclysmic seasons in world affairs and to meet their challenges. The so-called spring didn't last long, quickly unraveling into a collection of civil wars, civil unrest, and secessions. Phares argues that Washington is too hesitant to take action when necessary, that US policy is highly disoriented on counter terrorism efforts, and that the effects of these errors have already proven costly. In Benghazi, US foreign policy failed to see the explosions coming, didn't meet the challenges of political transformation where and with whom it should, and failed in isolating the Jihadi terrorists worldwide. Too many strategic errors were committed. In this fascinating new book, Phares, the only expert who accurately predicted the Arab Spring, will foretell a major demise in US and Western policies in the Middle East, unless a deep change in strategies and policies are made in Washington and around the world.
