Nervous Arab leaders watching young Tunisian demonstrators force an ageing strongman into sweeping concessions are wondering if their own old established formula of political repression will have to change too.
There seems little likelihood that Tunisia's violence will soon spread and unseat autocratic governments from Rabat to Riyadh, partly as opposition movements are weak and demoralized.
No one thinks Tunis is the Arab world's Gdansk, heralding a toppling of dominos of the kind that swept eastern Europe in 1989. Yet some wonder how long the region's unpopular rulers -- from absolute monarchs to ageing revolutionaries clinging to power -- can rely on the hard, old ways to stay in power.
For more: Tunisia riots offer warning to Arab governments | Top News | Reuters
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