The GCC intervention: giving Bahrain relative stability and the space to negotiate its future

A great deal has been written about the waves of protest and revolution in parts of the Middle East; much of it uses the powerful tool of analogy to shed light on the situation and to open up the debate. Is the ‘Arab Spring’ analogous to Prague 1968, Tehran 1979, Berlin 1989 or even Paris 1789? No one can agree but it is certainly fuelling café conversation all over the region. The reference to historical comparisons and more importantly the ensuing debate is helping to make sense of what is happening here in the Middle East, even if it can’t give easy answers.

By Nikki Schreiber | Notebook | Tuesday, 12 April 2011 at 6:55 pm