When the Berlin Wall fell, taking the old Soviet bloc with it, the same should have happened to its client states across the Middle East. But as per usual, we arrived to the party a decade or two late. Today, the Arab uprisings are radically reshaping the geo-political contours of the region. These seismic events, in particular the chaos in Syria, leave us with an unnerving sense of déjà vu. Once again, the old titan foes of the Cold War era are pitted against each other as they vie to advance their vested interests in the Middle East. Russia has already had its business in Libya trounced and it has deep military and commercial ties with the Syrian regime. China is energy dependent on regional allies and is fretful of an attack on the status quo. Thus, it is little wonder that they are closing ranks around the Syrian regime
