Imperialist Powers Go Into Battle For Spoils Of Syria's Revolution
The chaos of the Syrian revolution marks a shift in the balance of power in the Middle East. It is not certain which competing imperial and regional powers will win.But it is clear that the Syrian revolution could end up being the loser.
The Arab revolutions exposed the deep crisis of Western and Russian imperialism in the region. The West lost its strongmen allies Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak in Egypt. This came on top of the Iraqi-Afghan syndrome and its legacy of defeat and failed occupations.
At stake for Russia is the potential loss of Bashar al-Assads regime. Syria is Russias last ally in the Arab world and home to its only Mediterranean naval base.
The top priority for the US remains what is now termed the permanent war on terror. The killing of a US ambassador last September by an Islamist brigade in Benghazi, Libya, was a reminder that the US has many enemies in the Arab world.
As one of Barack Obamas senior officials told the US Senate recently, this war on terror is going to go on quite a while, at least ten to 20 years.
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http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art/33357/Imperialist+powers+go+into+battle+for+spoils+of+Syrias+revolution