Living with the Middle East's Old-New Security Paradigm

Attention  has  gradually  turned  to  the  geopolitical  implications  of  the  Arab spring.  It is broadly  recognised that ongoing processes of change in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) are not just about domestic level  political  reform but also regional security dynamics.  The region appears  to be  traversing  a  valley of heated  tension  and  strategic  flux.  But  no  single,  dominant  organising  principle  has  yet  taken  shape.  A number  of strategic  frameworks capture parts of what  is unfolding  in  today’s  Middle  East;  but  each  falls short in offering a complete account. An eclectic set of geopolitical dynamics conditions the region’s post-Arab spring reshuffle. And a clash of logics may persist for some time to come. This may militate against the unequivocal prevailing of any singular, Western security approach to the region.