Summary: It's sometimes said the Middle East, with its overlapping rivalries and conflicts, is like a three dimensional game of chess. But even that metaphor fell short of describing just how complex the region was in 2015. Syria provided perhaps the best example. The war there entered its fourth year in 2015. And became a theatre for some of the world's biggest powers, chief among them Russia and the US. Two countries with very different visions of how to end the conflict. 2015 was also the year ISIL was described as going 'global.' Under increasing international military pressure, its territory decreased in Iraq and Syria. But ISIL-led or inspired attacks were carried out in Beirut, Paris and elsewhere. In Yemen and Libya, as in Iraq and Syria, the region's states were disintegrating in 2015. On this end of the year review, we look at where things stand and where the Middle East is headed in 2016. Presenter: Kamahl Santamaria Guests: Yezid Sayigh - Senior Associate at the Carnegie Middle East Center Shibley Telhami - Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development at the University of Maryland Anthony Dworkin - Senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations - Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe - Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/AJEnglish - Find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera - Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/
