"The Obama administration saw this extraordinary moment of popular mobilization as an opportunity to finally bring democracy to a politically stagnant region." When and where did that happen, Marc? In Egypt, where the US supported Omar Sulayman (head of intelligence apparatus as an alternative to Mubarak after it could no more support Mubarak, or in Yemen where it blocked democratic transition to install a GCC puppet, or in Syria where it contacted the Syrian opposition to GCC countries, or in Bahrain where it supported a crackdown? Or in Jordan where it stands by the King no matter what? Where and when ddi the Obama administration support "bringing democracy to a politically stagnant region"? It did as much as Bush or Truman did--which is nothing really.