The Chinese proverb, "may you live in interesting times," is actually a curse. It means life full of trying events, ups and downs and unexpected turns — much like a rollercoaster. Looking back at 2015, we feel as being in a vicious circle, or a horror movie, where every day carried its own program, and every player had his own agenda. It is an interesting life, but maybe too much so, reminding me of traffic in Mumbai, India, where chaos is the system. To be fair, not all issues were born this year. Events in Syria, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Yemen, Bahrain, Turkey and Libya, started earlier. It has just become faster, harder, more complicated and very confusing. Let's take speed, for start. The so-called "Arab Spring" took years evolving, since a Tunisian young protester started it all, in 2010. Five years later, the lightning storm is still enclosing most affected countries. But now, it seems nobody has the stomach for more of the same. In Libya, warring factions and tribes are about to reach the volcano bottom. The world community has lost its patience, and is relentlessly pushing for a united government. Hopefully, 2016, will witness the closure of this file. In Tunisia, political turmoil that grabbed the nation for years was overcome when Islamists and liberals put Tunisia interest above personal and party gains. In 2015, the nation, finally, had a stable and functioning government. Let's pray this continues next year. Yemen has been going through civil struggle in the last five years. It hasn't ended with the departure of its dictator, Col. Ali Saleh, because he had just changed seats. His alliance with Iran and its Houthi militia and the coup against the democratically elected government led to internal and external confrontations. Saudi-led alliance, with UN approval, turned their advances back and is about to bring them down. Next year will, hopefully, see the end of this destructive war, and the dawn of a peaceful, productive, democratic Yemen. Palestinians are finally sitting at the same side of the table to negotiate with Israel. If Israelis (and Americans) are serious enough, the peace process may be back on track, in 2016. Not all fast tracks are good, though. Sometimes, they head south. Sudan, after decades of South-North wars, managed to twin-separate in a democratically, orderly fashion. But, in 2015, relations went from bad to worse between the two governments. Politicians disputed over many issues, but oil and borders were on top of the list. In Egypt, the celebrations over the change of government, from Islamist to military rule, ended with total hush. After all the noise, all the action, all the hopes and dreams, Egypt fell to an apathy mode — except for the faster than ever pace of terror attacks. Not only homegrown terrorists are more active and violent, but new players are in — Daesh and company. The Syrian revolution has been going on for years, now. Since the first peaceful demonstration in 2011 was met with an iron fist, it has been a rollercoaster. In 2015, the usual business turned to be very unusual. Iran and its militias became the real military force, and Iranian politicians and military field officers took over the running of government and army. Then, suddenly, when losses and failures were about to force them to compromise and accept political solutions, the Russian bear entered the scene with an earth-shocking ferocity. Regional and world powerhouses decided it is time to interfere — for good reasons. First it was millions of refugees knocking on European and American doors, then it was Daesh exporting terrorism to "white" lands, and now it is the Russian bully crashing the party. Even peaceful Germany and distant France are now active participants in the alliance against terror. To complicate the complicated, Russian and Turkish leaders are in a street fight over borders and egos. Finally, West and East are about to unite in a land war against the common enemy. GCC troops may join NATO Special Forces to face Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Other participants may include warring Syrian, Iraqi and Kurd militias. How could all this be coordinated? This is the millennium question! The peace process, however, took much needed urgency and energy, in 2015. International conferences with a growing list of participants took place in Moscow, Cairo, Vienna, Paris, Riyadh and New York — sometimes in the same week. Are we close to end the worst war in the 21st century? Will 2016 witness the start of a peaceful transition to a new government, in a new democratic, tolerant, united Syria? If the drive continues at the same pace, we have a realistic hope. In Iraq, it is a war on all fronts. It started with unfinished business with Daesh, and then took a detour to face government corruption and mismanagement. Now, we have macaroni fights among local factions, government army and foreign militias, plus the new-found confrontation with Turkey. With the Saudi-led Islamic Military Alliance against terrorism, and the world new focus on boiling Mideast problems, let's hope our New Year would be more peaceful and ... less interesting! Dr. Khaled M. Batarfi is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him at Twitter:@kbatarfi
