principles, principles that have guided our response to events over the past six months. the united states opposes the use of violence and repression against the people of the reg n region. the united states supports a set of universal rights, and these rights include free speech, the freedom of peaceful assembly, the freedom of religion, a quality for men and women under the rule of law, and the right to choose your own leaders. whether you live in baghdad or damascus, sanaa or tehran, and we support political and economic reform in the middle east and north africa that can meet the legitimate aspirations of ordinary people throughout the region. our support for these principles is not a secondary interest.