Cole on "Rise of the Sunnis" in 2013

The crumbling Iran/Shi'a crescent (in blue) if Damascus falls (Source: Cole)
Some interesting new year's prognostication from Juan Cole, who sees for the Middle East in 2013 "the Rise of the Sunnis and the Decline of Iran, Iraq and Hizbullah."

Bahrain, on the other hand, is "proceeding confidently on the road to the brightest future in 2013," according to this collaborative article between the Bahrain News Agency and The Onion:

Despite shortage of fiscal resources and unfavorable repercussions of unrest sown by a handful of bust outlaws, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been ranked amongst advanced nations of the world. The wheel of productivity goes on unfettered, as Bahraini citizens and expatriate residents carry on business as usual.

The Kingdom's impeccable human rights record and bright image remain intact and undistorted by any futile false allegations propagated by hostile megaphones at international functions. The rate of economic growth reached 3.1% in the third quarter of last year (2012) and is likely to reach 4% this year with an increase of 0.7% thanks to non-oil-related economic activities of added value which recorded a realistic growth rate of 5.9%.

Indeed, Bahrain's economic growth forecast was likely boosted 0.7% on New Year's eve alone, as the Saudi newspaper Al-Youm reports that more than 80,000 vehicles--or nearly 250,000 people at 3 individuals per vehicle--piled onto the causeway into Bahrain for some decidedly "non-oil-related economic activities."