The Fault Lines Defining the Middle East’s Future

Joshua Geltzer was quoted in the World Weekly about how the United States and its allies need to follow up on their military success by utilizing other assets to help with the reconstruction process.

Conflict across the Middle East and North Africa have led to mass displacement, with millions of people forced to leave their homes. Syria is a key example of how much displacement on such a large scale can shape the region’s politics. Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan have taken in around 5.2 million refugees. Already prior to the outbreak of the Syrian war, both Lebanon and Jordan were hosting a large population of Palestinian and in the case of Jordan Iraqi refugees.

Several Lebanese leaders have called for Syrians to return home. As political pressure in several countries for Syrian refugees to return home increases, questions of reconciliation and reconstruction have become more urgent. This is also crucial in terms of international efforts to fight extremist groups like Islamic State (IS), observers say.

“Militarily, the United States and its partners have made great strides in addressing violent extremists in key parts of the Middle East and North Africa,” says Joshua Geltzer, a former senior director for counterterrorism on former President Barack Obama’s National Security Council.