The Middle East’s Westphalian Moment? From Chaos to Realism

AI Summary

The article analyzes a potential Westphalian shift in the Middle East, arguing that state borders once threatened by ISIS are now reasserting themselves as foundations of regional order. The piece contends that predictions of artificial state collapse were wrong, as the Iraq-Syria border has been restored and realism is replacing chaos. The author frames this as an opportunity for a new, more stable regional order based on sovereignty.

Recall the image etched in memory: a bulldozer driven by fighters of the self-proclaimed Islamic State smashing through the earthen berm on the Iraq-Syria border, militants cheering atop the machine. That moment was not just a border violation. It was a bullet fired at the history of the modernizing Middle East. Western analysts lamented that the end of artificial states had arrived, while militants celebrated the end of history. They were all wrong. Today, that berm is back, standing in place as if exacting revenge. The line was not erased. On the contrary, it transformed into the region’s life raft. The post The Middle East’s Westphalian Moment? From Chaos to Realism appeared first on War on the Rocks.