Voicing concerns: Arab Spring a mirage, says US expert

"Perception that the US wanted to destabilize Pakistan was totally misleading and wrong," Professor Gill.


Express November 18, 2011



An American expert on Middle East has described the Arab Spring a mirage and saw instability in the region. Mr James A. Larocco, the Director of the Near East South Asia Centre (NESA), said this during his visit to the Islamabad Policy Research Institute on Thursday, said a press release issued by the institute here.


Professor John H Gill also accompanied him.

Mr Larocco briefed the IPRI scholars on the situation in the Middle East.

He said he was not optimistic about the aftermath of the Arab Spring and saw a period of instability and turmoil in the region as the countries lacked the institutions to engineer the change the Arab masses were agitating for.

He said he saw change in the attitude of Arab League and the Gulf Council on the situation in Syria which was a healthy sign.

About the situation in Afghanistan he said the people there were mainly concerned about 2014, the date for US withdrawal.

Professor Gill who is an expert on South Asia asserted that the perception that the United States wanted to destabilize Pakistan was totally misleading and wrong as stability in the region depended on a stable Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 18th, 2011. 

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