An Egyptian army that is recalcitrant in the face of democratic realities and a fractured and increasingly violent tribal chaos in Libya; but the strategic hangover from the Arab Spring is just getting started. Next up: a Syrian civil war.

Syrian President Bashar Assad has deployed all of the usual tools to cope with the protest movement that has blossomed within Syria’s borders.

The October 26th U.S. military strike inside Syria ostensibly targeting an alleged high-level al-Qaeda in Iraq operative is an indication of the Bush administration's attempt to counter Syria’s growing influence via a show of force.