On May 19, the Arab League held its annual summit in the Saudi city of Jeddah, attended by the Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad for the first time since 2011—when his government was expelled because of its bloody attempts to suppress a popular uprising. Mohammed Alyahya takes this step as a sign of the emergence of a “new Middle East.”
Through brute force, and the unwavering support of his patrons—Russia and China—Bashar al-Assad has managed to prevail in his war against his own people, delivering a strategic victory to the Russia-Iran axis that will allow him to preside indefinitely over a tattered and fractured Syria. Giving Syria a place at the table is recognition of a reality that the Syrian dictator has forged out of steel and blood. It is also a victory for his patrons who facilitated his murderous behavior. It is reasonable to expect that future would-be Arab strongmen are paying close attention to these ugly lessons.
While initiatives led by U.S. allies focused in the past on maintaining the U.S. security order, this Arab League summit brings together a region that can no longer be easily divided into well-marked camps policed by superpower patrons. The most notable feature of this new landscape is a competition for influence, power, and resources that is open to all players.
While open competition is not in itself a bad thing, the prospect of a regional free-for-all carries considerable risks—both to American interests and to regional stability. Without clear alliances and rules, the threat of armed conflict can only increase. Meanwhile, the United States lacks a coherent strategy to manage its own remaining, quite large interests in the region. . . . Beijing has capitalized on the power vacuum left by the United States, most recently by brokering an agreement in Beijing between Riyadh and Tehran.
Read more on Al Arabiya: https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2023/05/23/The-Birth-of-a-New-Middle-East-