The stark reality is that while we may have little or no control over these matters, other things being equal, we still must have strategies at our disposal to avoid, if possible, or to mitigate the impact on our countries and communities.
This will require clarity of thought and rigorous intellectual analysis as well as a clear understanding of our longterm goals as opposed to short-term expediency. The policy makers of the region could possibly find themselves between a rock and a very hard place as they attempt to balance two sometimes conflicting demands.