James Jeffrey

We are the leaders, the beacon on the hill, you know, the shining light.

Israel is a major player in the Middle East. Its own security and its work with other countries, for example, to defeat ISIS, and to push back on Iran, is absolutely vital for our overall strategy for the region.

We would much prefer to pursue the positive agenda of deescalation and political reinvigoration I just described, but we are prepared to maintain our policy of pressure...

It has been American leadership through two Administrations. It has been an 80-country, an organization coalition, a true international effort.

I took this job on the assumption that this Administration would stand by its commitments and would hold the line on Syria. So far, I believe it has absolutely done so.

He has shown little willingness to be flexible on any issue, and at the moment may be concluding that it is better to sit on a pile of rubble with half his population and 60 percent of his country than to compromise.

There is no doubt, including in the White House, that Iran is an extremely dangerous, expansionist force in the region.

If we do not play the kind of very costly and at times very difficult role that we play in the world, then you get a Syria; you get a law of the jungle in a very important area where you do have, as I said, five armies.

If the regime and its sponsors do not accept this path forward, we, aligned with much of the international community, will continue the very broad economic and diplomatic pressure on this regime.

We think that this regime needs to subject itself to the U.N. process, free and fair elections, a new constitution or at least a reformed constitution, and a nationwide cease-fire.

I think Russia's support for the Assad regime is a mistake.

what kind of message does that send and why would anybody want to be our allies in the future?