article_snippet: While this instability is making the West -- particularly the United States -- uncomfortable, this instability is also a direct result of West's own stance towards dictatorships in the region prior to and during the Arab Spring.
article_snippet: West's shortsightedness in handling the Middle East throughout the Middle East modern history has directly contributed to the Middle East current devastation.
article_snippet: Before 2011, what West most valued in the Middle East was stability rather than democracy.
article_snippet: When the reality of living under dictatorships became exposed with the Arab Spring, the West could no longer ignore the West and had to publicly declare support for the uprisings.
article_snippet: But the West did not have a long-term strategy for handling the aftermath of dictatorships -- and the results have been catastrophic.
article_snippet: Syria saw diplomatic toing and froing that eventually dragged the West into a messy war.
highlights_snippet: Khatib: West supported Mideast dictators until it became unpalatable in 2011 .
  
highlights_snippet: Khatib: West's lack of a plan for aftermath of dictatorships has been catastrophic .