▁Soviet ▁Union ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁brought ▁a ▁global ▁security ▁ref ocus ▁from ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁to ▁a ▁War ▁on ▁T error . ▁Starting ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 0 s , ▁a ▁revolution ary ▁wave ▁popular ly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Arab ▁Spring ▁brought ▁major ▁protest s , ▁u pr is ings , ▁and ▁revolution s ▁to ▁several ▁Middle ▁Eastern ▁and ▁Mag h reb ▁countries . ▁Cl ash es ▁in ▁western ▁Ira q ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁were ▁pre lim inary ▁to ▁the ▁Sun ni ▁pan - I sl am ist ▁I SI L ▁u pr ising . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁Near ▁East ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁inter change ably ▁with ▁Middle ▁East , ▁but ▁in ▁a ▁different ▁context , ▁especially ▁when ▁discuss ing ▁ancient ▁history , ▁it ▁may ▁have ▁a ▁limited ▁meaning , ▁namely ▁the ▁northern , ▁histor ically ▁Ar ama ic - spe aking ▁Sem it ic ▁people ▁area ▁and ▁adjacent ▁An atol ian ▁territ ories , ▁marked ▁in ▁the ▁two ▁maps ▁below . ▁ ▁General ▁Ge ograph ically , ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁can ▁be ▁thought ▁of ▁as ▁Western ▁Asia ▁with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁Egypt ▁( which ▁is ▁the ▁non - Mag h reb ▁region ▁of ▁Northern ▁Africa ) ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁ex clusion ▁of ▁the ▁C au cas us . ▁The ▁Middle ▁East ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁experience ▁a ▁Ne ol ith ic ▁Revolution ▁( c . ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁mill en ni um ▁BC ), ▁as ▁well ▁as