Analysis of the Current Situation in North Africa ＆ the Middle East

After the upsurge of domestic turmoil in Tunis last December, unrest spread rapidly through North Africa and the Middle East, having a profound effect on current international relations. It will continue to affect relations between the major powers and the international system as a whole for some time to come. The regional turmoil of North Africa and the Middle East is of particular interest to International Political Economy （IPE） studies. It seems to embody a geostrategic conflict between the US and the EU in contending for leadership in North Africa and the Middle East. It is also an expression of the competition for dominance of the global financial structure between the major powers during a period of transition in the international system. Lastly, it is a manifestation of America＇s struggle to maintain its global economic hegemony.