(Al Jazeera English Headlines: 1700 PST, February 17, 2011) The U.S. and President Barack Obama continue to waver in their position regarding the unrest sweeping through the Middle East. The country says it will not dictate events in the region. But Obama has criticized the Iranian government's violent response to protests there, while at the same time maintaining a more neutral tone with Bahrain.

Many find the US's response disappointing, and some feel the White House will only react strongly to those governments it does not have a stake in. Al Jazeera's Patty Culhane reports.