Jacobin Radio Thawra Epilogue: Decades of American Destruction
Sep 20, 2024
In this discussion, Abdel Razzaq Takriti, an expert on Arab radicalism, delves into a century of American intervention and its impact on the Middle East. He covers the Oslo Accords' disempowerment of Palestinian movements and the eruption of the Second Intifada. The conversation also explores the rise of radical groups amid U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the dynamics of the Arab Spring, and the emergence of ISIS. Takriti highlights the enduring hope for popular renewal despite decades of imperialist chaos.
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Varied Outcomes of Arab Spring
- Regimes fell in Tunisia and Egypt due to fractured internal consensus but stayed strong in Syria, Libya, Yemen.
- Libya's regime only fell due to NATO intervention, not internal collapse.
Syria’s Spring to Civil War
- Syria's protest emerged from rural economic crisis and neoliberal policies worsened by drought.
- Initial revolts were peaceful mass disobedience but turned violent after mass repression and geopolitical interference.
Internationalization of Syria’s Conflict
- The Syrian civil war internationalized via regional rivalries and external sponsorships.
- The U.S. aimed to destabilize Syrian state, but avoided direct regime overthrow.