At the same time, a population bulge combined with high unemployment is creating a pressure-cooker scenario across the board. More than 50 percent of the population in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria is under 25.
To counter the looming social problems and deflect the tension created both by the U.S. war against al Qaeda and the cooperation of Arab governments with Washington, many regimes are now taking wide-ranging and unusually proactive measures.
The most telling example is the recent proposal by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah offering Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for a return of all lands claimed by the Palestinians. The initiative is highly unusual because Riyadh has never directly involved itself in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is also the first time any Arab government has promised the hand of all Arab states in recognizing Israel. Saudi Arabia is hoping that by becoming a key peacemaker in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it can deflect U.S. pressure for internal reforms and avoid participating in U.S. military operations in the region and especially against Iraq.
The Saudi example is only one of many. In Syria, President Bashar Assad is weakening the stranglehold his own ethnic group, the Alawites, has on the government and the military in order to open up jobs for a younger generation and strengthen his support among that age group. In Bahrain, the Sunni Muslim king recently
To counter the looming social problems and deflect the tension created both by the U.S. war against al Qaeda and the cooperation of Arab governments with Washington, many regimes are now taking wide-ranging and unusually proactive measures.
The most telling example is the recent proposal by Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah offering Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for a return of all lands claimed by the Palestinians. The initiative is highly unusual because Riyadh has never directly involved itself in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is also the first time any Arab government has promised the hand of all Arab states in recognizing Israel. Saudi Arabia is hoping that by becoming a key peacemaker in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it can deflect U.S. pressure for internal reforms and avoid participating in U.S. military operations in the region and especially against Iraq.
The Saudi example is only one of many. In Syria, President Bashar Assad is weakening the stranglehold his own ethnic group, the Alawites, has on the government and the military in order to open up jobs for a younger generation and strengthen his support among that age group. In Bahrain, the Sunni Muslim king recently