The Lost Spring: U.S. Policy in the Middle East and Catastrophes to Avoid

One of the greatest unanswered questions after the massive and violent changes that hit the Middle East in 2011, known to some as the "Arab Spring" and to others as the "Islamist Winter," is how the West failed to predict both cataclysmic seasons in world affairs and to meet their challenges. The so-called spring didn't last long, quickly unraveling into a collection of civil wars, civil unrest, and secessions. Phares argues that Washington is too hesitant to take action when necessary, that US policy is highly disoriented on counter terrorism efforts, and that the effects of these errors have already proven costly. In Benghazi, US foreign policy failed to see the explosions coming, didn't meet the challenges of political transformation where and with whom it should, and failed in isolating the Jihadi terrorists worldwide. Too many strategic errors were committed. In this fascinating new book, Phares, the only expert who accurately predicted the Arab Spring, will foretell a major demise in US and Western policies in the Middle East, unless a deep change in strategies and policies are made in Washington and around the world.

About the Author :
Dr. Walid Phares is a world-renowned terrorism and Middle East expert and serves as an advisor to Congress and to members of the European Parliament. He is the Co-Secretary General of the Transatlantic Parliamentary Group on Counter Terrorism and is a frequent guest on US and Arab media. Phares was an MSNBC Terrorism analyst since 2003 and has been a Fox News Middle East expert since 2007. His columns have appeared in many publications including The Washington Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Le Figaro. He has been projecting the next stages of the upheavals seen since the start of the revolts in 2011.

Review :
"In 2005, in "Future Jihad," Walid Phares predicted that Al Qaeda would expand from its base in Pakistan to create powerful franchises throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In "The Coming Revolution of 2010," Phares predicted the Arab Spring--a full two years before it happened. Many commentators and experts dismissed Phares' predictions, only to later eat their words. With his new book, "The Lost Spring," Phares describes how the Middle East is racing towards a fight to the finish between reformers and fundamentalists. Who will prevail? No one knows. But Phares has shown time and again that he's got the best crystal ball in the business." --K. T. McFarland, FOX News National Security Analyst, President Reagan's Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, and former member of Henry Kissinger's NSC Staff "Dr Walid Phares' consistently accurate analysis and uncanny ability to predict events in the Middle East have made him the 'go to' authority on terrorism, civil uprisings, and politics in the region. "The Lost Spring" offers a smarter alternative to address the chaos that has erupted from North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. This is a must read for senior US policy makers--those who ignore his warnings do so at their own (and this country's) peril." --Ret. Colonel Rick Francona, CNN Military Expert, and Former US Air Force Intelligence Officer ""Dr. Walid Phares, who has been advising our transatlantic parliamentary group with members from the US Congress and the European Parliament since 2008, has developed a prescient analysis on the upheavals in the Middle East before and since the revolts. In his new book, ""The Lost Spring"," a must read, Phares tells us how the West missed opportunities to partner with civil societies in their rise against Jihadists and other extremists. But he also shows us that by developing policies based on common human and democracy values, we can help suppressed minorities and moderate majorities to be our future partners across the Mediterranean."" --Jaime Mayor Oreja, Member of the European Parliament, and deputy chairman of the EPP Majority Party "Dr. Walid Phares' expert opinion is a leading prescient in-depth analysis on geopolitical changes in the Middle East. The interviews with Dr. Phares in Arab media in general and in "Al Watan Alarabi" --as his books--always foresee coming events which make his writings and statements truly authoritative for leaders in the region. As a new paradigm is setting in the Arab region, his latest book "The Lost Spring" cannot be timelier for the peoples of the region who are hoping for a new and more strategic US policy towards the rising challenges of the radicals in the Middle East." --Khaled Abu Zahr, Editor in chief of Pan Arab "Al Watan Alarabi," Cairo "Walid Phares has predicted the Arab Spring, has projected the rise of civil societies in the Middle East, and has also warned us about the Islamists' takeover and Iran's strategic expansion. But he has also accurately seen the comeback of the revolutionary democrats in Egypt and Tunisia and beyond. In his new masterfully written book "The Lost Spring," Phares is telling us why the West lost a historic opportunity and what new policies are needed to avoid catastrophes and welcome a new Spring." --Paulo Casaca, Socialist Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2009 and President of the European Parliament delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly from 2005 to 2007 "Walid Phares is one of the leading geopolitical strategists in the world. His books, including "Future Jihad "and "The Coming Revolution "have helped many members of Congress and the US Government better understand the forthcoming national security threats. In his new book "The Lost Spring, " Phares exposes the mistakes of our foreign policies in the Middle East, from partnering with the Muslim Brotherhood to abandoning the Iranian youth. His book is a historical, yet a future strategic reading, suggesting alternatives to forthcoming disasters in the region. A must read." --Congresswoman Sue Myrick, Chair subcommittee on Intelligence 2011-2013, Co-Chair Anti-Terrorism Caucus, US House of Representatives, 2007-2013