Out of the mist and murk of the Middle East since the inception of the so-called “Arab Spring” more than two years ago, there are signs that a new strategic balance may be emerging in the region. This realignment process is made up of various elements:
- Withdrawal of the US military presence in Iraq and the pending withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan.
- European neglect of the region and general withdrawal within itself to try to reverse its long-standing economic and financial decline.
- Discovery and incipient production of vast reserves of natural gas in Israeli waters.
- Gradual emergence of an autonomous, if not independent, Kurdistan.
