Currently, one year after the beginning of the unprecedented explosion of the Arab Spring, the only certainty about future developments in the broader Middle East is uncertainty, and therefore the United States’ strategic and tactical responses are understandably at a foggy cross-road. It is for this reason that a realistic analysis of the factors that contribute to stability or instability in the turbulent region is critical if America, as well as its friends and allies, are adequately prepared to craft a pragmatic approach in this emerging security environment.