How successful is for the future to judge.
Iraq & Afghanistan were the first round
Egypt, Tunisia & Yemen were the second round. Not a peep out of the west about these. Change was in the air and they let it happen and did not oppose. Why not ? its not like the Soviets are still around to exploit it.
Libya, Mali & Syria are the third round
Ten (!) countries in just over ten years. You see a general outline here ?
Not saying Cheney & Wolfowitz saw all of this back in 2001, saying the actions the great powers have taken have not been inconsistent since. Those two showed that the arab order could be changed and i see no reason for this momentum to remain constrained to the middle east alone. I can see these ideas working their way through Africa too. That next region with huge growth potential if only it were more open.
The best long term antidote for extremism is democracy which has to be sustainable. Once the political is workable the economic follows.
Two out of ten required boots on the ground because you don't want to put boots on the ground to save somebody else's neck. In Syria's case irregulars were sent.
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