Washington suffered two setbacks in the Middle East this weekend: the Russian/Chinese veto of a U.S.-backed UN Security Council resolution on Syria, and news that the Egyptian judiciary has indicted nineteen Americans in a wide-ranging investigation of U.S.-supported pro-democracy organizations. Although each of these issues arises out of country-specific circumstances and stands on its own as a major challenge to U.S. interests, there is a link between the two — namely, the Obama administration's message to the relevant antagonists that the cost for "bad behavior" will be low.

via www.washingtoninstitute.org