ABSTRACT
Nobody expected a new era to begin in North Africa and the Middle East in 2011. It’s as if, when the sun rose one morning, everything looked different. Tunisians and Egyptians demonstrated in the tens of thousands and overthrew Ben Ali and Mubarak. Libyans launched a civil war and overthrew Gaddafi. Syrians massed in the streets against Bashar al-Assad and found themselves in a bloody stalemate. In neighboring countries sporadic protests sputtered on and off.
