Time for a Change in Arab States

It has often been argued that few have anticipated the chain of events that started on December 17th in Tunisia and led to the freedom uprisings in many Arab states.

Those who were following the region closely, on the other hand, were not surprised. Time was and is still ripe for a change in all Arab states in the region. But just as the exact moment that constituted the spark of the freedom uprisings was difficult to anticipate, change has never been predictable either.

Why change was and is necessary? What type of change(s) are we witnessing in the region today? Why was it possible for Tunisians and Egyptians to topple their presidents peacefully? Why it turned bloody and violent in Libya, Yemen and Syria and floundered all together in Bahrain? And why is the expression Arab Spring misrepresents the actual developments on the ground?

All of these questions will be discussed at length.