Like all forms of collective security, multilateral sanctions require a unanimity rarely achieved in international politics.

During most of the Bush administration, human rights and democracy in Egypt were on the front burner.

When freedom of the press is threatened, the United States should be leading efforts to protect it.

It’s unlikely to change – there’s nothing in King Salman’s past as governor of Riyadh for about forty years that suggests that he was particularly a reformer, not on the role of women, not on democratic development. There’s been a rumor in the last couple of days that he said to someone in an e-mail that he’s in favor of a constitutional monarchy, but I would be surprised if the level of repression started to go down … I think the kind of thing that we would view as significant reforms is unlikely.

I never said I had no idea about most of the things you said I said I had no idea about.

Iran exports about 2.2 million barrels a day.

The story of the Jews in the Bible is replete with incidents of their ingratitude to God for His gifts to them: incidents that just as repeatedly merit and receive punishment.