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For more than four decades, Professor Stephen Zunes has been one of the world’s leading scholars on Middle Eastern politics, US foreign policy, and nonviolent movements. In this insightful and deeply relevant episode of the Kianistan Podcast, he breaks down the Arab Spring, US interventions, regional uprisings, and the current explosions unfolding across West Asia.

This episode offers a rare, historically grounded explanation of how the Middle East reached its current state—a region transformed by wars, failed revolutions, external interventions, and grassroots struggle.

✅ The Arab Spring: Why It Happened—and Why It Failed

Prof. Zunes begins by explaining that the Arab Spring did not arise from nowhere. It was the culmination of:

  • decades of authoritarian rule,

  • widespread corruption,

  • youth unemployment,

  • and deep frustration with US-backed dictators.

Millions across Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, and beyond took to the streets demanding dignity, democracy, and economic fairness.

But the outcomes diverged:

Tunisia – A Hopeful Beginning, a Painful Decline

Tunisia was the success story—at first. Ben Ali fell, democratic reforms began, and civil society flourished.
But economic stagnation, security fears, and political dysfunction made people nostalgic for “strongman rule,” allowing authoritarianism to creep back.

Egypt – Revolution, Counter-Revolution, and the Return of a Dictatorship

Egypt’s uprising was massive, but:

  • The military never lost control.

  • The elected government was undermined.

  • The coup reinstated a more brutal regime under Sisi.

According to Zunes, US support for the Egyptian military limited the possibility of genuine democratic transformation.

Syria – The Tragedy of Militarization

The Syrian uprising began nonviolently, but:

  • Assad’s crackdown pushed parts of the opposition toward armed resistance.

  • External powers—including the US, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar—funneled money and weapons to different rebel groups.

  • Extremist groups filled the vacuum.

Zunes argues that militarizing the uprising destroyed its moral legitimacy, turned it into a proxy battlefield, and ultimately empowered Assad.

âś… US Foreign Policy: Strategic Hypocrisy in the Middle East

Zunes highlights a crucial point:
The US has supported every major dictatorship in the region—Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, Morocco, and previously Tunisia—despite speaking of democracy.

Why?
Because Washington’s priorities have always been:

  • Strategic access

  • Oil routes & military bases

  • Containment of Iran

  • Partnership with Israel

This explains why:

  • The US supported Bahraini repression against peaceful protesters.

  • It backed the Saudi war on Yemen.

  • It ignored human rights abuses in Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

  • It intervened selectively in Libya and Syria.

According to Zunes:

“US foreign policy in the Middle East is about power, not principles.”

âś… Saudi Arabia & UAE: Counter-Revolutions Across the Region

Prof. Zunes emphasizes that the Arab Spring’s biggest enemies were not only authoritarian regimes—but authoritarian monarchies determined to stop democratic change.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE:

  • Funded counter-revolutionary forces

  • Supported military coups

  • Backed extremist factions in Syria

  • Crushed protests in Bahrain

  • Bankrolled dictatorships in Egypt and Sudan

Their goal:
Prevent democracy from spreading, fearing the impact on their own populations.

✅ Iran’s Role: Influence, Resistance, and Regional Balancing

Iran, unlike the Gulf monarchies, benefited from the instability:

  • The fall of Saddam strengthened Iran’s position in Iraq.

  • The Syrian war forced Iran deeper into regional security politics.

  • Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon expanded.

  • Iran gained influence in Yemen through the Houthis.

However, Zunes explains that Iran’s strategy is more reactive than expansive—it fills vacuums created by US mistakes and Gulf interventions, rather than launching independent imperial projects.

âś… Why Nonviolent Movements Are More Successful Than Armed Uprisings

One of the strongest arguments from Prof. Zunes is that nonviolent struggles historically achieve more lasting change than armed rebellions.

He explains:

  • Nonviolent movements attract broader coalitions

  • They avoid giving regimes an excuse for violent crackdowns

  • They prevent foreign powers from justifying intervention

  • They deny extremist groups oxygen

  • They create long-term democratic culture

Examples such as Tunisia, Sudan (initially), Lebanon’s protests, and Jordan’s reforms highlight the power of civil resistance.

âś… Israel, Gaza, and the Failure of International Accountability

Prof. Zunes critiques the global double standards regarding Israel–Palestine:

  • Israel receives enormous impunity despite international law violations

  • Western governments suppress pro-Palestine activism

  • The Gaza crisis exposes the collapse of moral credibility in Western foreign policy

  • Nonviolent Palestinian activism—like the Great March of Return—is ignored or crushed

He argues that genuine peace cannot come from military dominance but from justice, equality, and rights for both Palestinians and Israelis.

âś… A Region on the Edge: Why West Asia Is Still a Powder Keg

The factors that triggered the Arab Spring are still present today, and in some cases, even worse:

  • Youth unemployment

  • Corruption

  • Economic collapse

  • Authoritarianism

  • Foreign interventions

  • Sectarian manipulation

  • Decline of public trust in institutions

This creates a region ready for a second wave of uprisings, but with far more instability and militarization than in 2011.

âś… Conclusion: Lessons From the Arab Spring and the Road Ahead

Prof. Zunes ends with a powerful reminder:

  • Political change is slow

  • Nonviolent movements remain the most effective long-term strategy

  • External military interventions always backfire

  • Authoritarian stability is temporary

  • True security comes from justice, democracy, and accountable governance

This episode is indispensable for anyone seeking to understand:

  • Why the Middle East keeps exploding

  • Why revolutions succeed or fail

  • Why US policy remains contradictory

  • And how people across the region continue to push for freedom

Watch the full conversation for deeper insights.

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