The Great Power Competition Volume 2: Contagion Effect: Strategic Competition in the COVID-19 Era

Even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Region  faced numerous obstacles to building a stable and prosperous future.   The region, which encompasses the Middle East, the Horn of Africa,  Central Asia, and South Asia, has been plagued by economic and political  uncertainty amidst dramatic shifts in the global power structure.  With  the pandemic now exacerbating the volatility in this already fragile  region, the U.S.'s strategic objectives are rife for re-examination.
A  complicated stew of factors such as weakening of established governance  systems, the emboldening of extremist individuals and groups through  advances in digital technology, the humanitarian crises in Afghanistan  and Syria, and the intensification of the great power competition with  China and Russia are creating a fertile environment for the growth of  violent extremist organizations (VEOs).  Such organizations take  advantage of vulnerable, aggrieved, and traumatized populations to fuel  radicalization, recruitment, and unrest, which further undermine  stability and the potential for peace and prosperity.
While  it is still early to fully understand how the ongoing response to the  COVID-19 pandemic will impact U.S. policy, this book provides a timely  analysis of relevant dynamics such as popular radicalization, digital  information ecosystems, networks of influence, and new capabilities to  recognize and prepare for other such black swan events in the region.