Noriega says maintaining sanctions will give the U.S.leverage to press Cuba's rulers to release political prisoners and grant their citizens political rights.

VOA: standard.2009.05.06

"I have asked Secretary Geithner to use that leverage and pursue every single legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole."

VOA: standard.2009.03.16

Some here in South Korea fear the four fishing boat crew members will be added to a list of other detainees Pyongyang may use for diplomatic leverage.

VOA: standard.2009.07.30

He adds that scientists are working with investigators around the world to leverage the investment that went into the soybean for cowpea,chick pea,pigeon pea and other beans.

VOA: standard.2010.02.01

"Once that money was handed over to AIG, the leverage was lost."

VOA: standard.2009.03.17

Weber said the report recommends fighting poverty and using U.S.political and economic leverage with authoritarian governments to promote democratic reforms and create a middle class and a civil society.

VOA: standard.2009.04.24

While Congress and the administration consider what can be done retroactively to recover funds, Franks says the government should use leverage it now has as 80 percent shareholder in AIG.

VOA: standard.2009.03.17

President Obama has said he would be willing to speak with Cuba's leaders, but would maintain the embargo as leverage to push for democratic change and an improvement in human rights.

VOA: standard.2009.04.07

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell questioned the U.S.Treasury Department's latest aid to AIG, "Wouldn't the treasury,and the taxpayer, have had more leverage over AIG's executive contracts before providing another $30 billion in tax money for them,"

VOA: standard.2009.03.17

"I mean,he hands over 80 percent of his low-enriched uranium: that means for the next 13 months he will not be able to go down that path, meaning that he will lose a lot of leverage with the West,"

VOA: standard.2009.10.28

Although a major oil producer, Iran must import most of its gasoline because of a lack of refining capacity, creating what U.S.lawmakers have long seen as a crucial point of leverage with Tehran over its nuclear program.

VOA: standard.2009.10.28

"In order to reverse the situation and to give themselves a little bit more leverage, they are turning towards new kinds of ideas or at least ideas that they are pushing forward and making more prominent than they were before."

VOA: standard.2010.05.03

"They are doing that because he is popular with their own people,which means that they get some reflected glory at home, and that is where you get (political) leverage, because this is an American leader who can speak over the heads of the domestic leaders, and that is powerful,".

VOA: standard.2009.04.03

Saying President Obama has offered Iran every opportunity for constructive diplomatic dialogue on its nuclear program, Senate Democratic Foreign Relations Committee chairman John Kerry said more robust sanctions are in his words the only way to dramatically increase the economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran from the outside and help leverage pressure on the regime from its own population which wants a different relationship with the world.

VOA: standard.2009.09.25