A nightmare scenario for the Middle East

At least according to haaretz.com who see this year as being the tipping point of the Middle East and warn of the consequences if President Obama is not firm over Iran and nuclear weapons

By Thanksgiving 2011, the situation was clear. Jordan's King Abdullah left for exile in London. Hezbollah took control of Beirut and a bloody war of attrition erupted between Israel and the Palestinians. The unrest in western Asia had repercussions on the rest of the international arena: Afghanistan went up in flames, Pakistan collapsed and Russia raised its head. In view of Washington's helplessness, some European states began to lean increasingly toward China. When the price of oil rose above $200 a barrel, the American economy plunged into another deep recession.

Ht-Andrew Sullivan