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The Video Didn't Start the Riots
(Foreign Policy) Michael Singh - The current unrest is not in fact a result of a single offensive video, but is rather a continuation and outgrowth of the Arab uprisings of 2011. Politicians have frequently sought to settle old scores instead of taking their countries forward. Political participation has increased, but it has not brought results sufficient to meet the (unrealistic) expectations of the people in these countries. In such circumstances, it is not unusual for people to look for others to blame. The U.S. is just one of many parties upon whom blame for the Middle East's woes has been cast. The former regimes, religious minorities, wealthy businessmen, Israel, and liberals are among those who have been targeted in these Arab uprisings. We must avoid the temptation of misapprehending the current spurt of violence as the harbinger of some sort of epic conflict between the West and Islam, or the urge to disengage with the Middle East in frustration over the persistence of anti-Americanism and chaos there. The Middle East remains a region which is vital to U.S. interests. The writer is managing director of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy.