The Importance of the Domestic Scene in Arab Politics

The chapter makes the case that domestic factors remain key drivers in the political development in the region – encompassing popular protests and “domestic counter-measures” by authoritarian regimes in countries like Syria, Egypt, Bahrain. By racing how domestic conflicts opened the door for regional and international external intervention, the chapter argues that domestic actors and interests remain at the core of the struggles and subsequently that regional and international actors to some extent depend on such domestic rivalries and struggles to operate.