Prospects for Egyptian Position in the Middle East following US Invasion of Iraq

Widespread developments in the Middle East in the 1990s, notably Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, made the Arab regional system undergo a kind of divergence. Although, Egyptian political elites have been persistently trying to restore their leadership over the Arab World by adopting certain policies, this goal has not been attained due to numerous internal crises and particular regional conditions. In this article, looking at the regional situation following the September 11th events, the author suggests that Egypt’s fragile domestic conditions and shifts in regional equilibrium following the Cold War has further undermined Egypt’s turning into the unrivaled leader of the Arab World. Although, numerous domestic crises are likely to be resolved through political and economic reforms, it will results in the Islamist rise in power or even their replacement.