by Barbra Henry

Created on: June 01, 2008   Last Updated: June 02, 2008

Historically, the impact of sanctions on nations around the world has been a disaster with untold suffering, economically, and loss of life. Sanctions actually decrease a nations desire to comply with requisitions of other countries. Sanctions have little or no affect on the actions and behaviors' of a nation. Diplomacy is the best method of persuasion.

The idea of economic sanctions presented in 1919 by President Woodrow Wilson in his bid to persuade fellow Americans' to accept the idea of "The League of Nations" (The United Nations) said to his colleagues and fellow citizens, "A nation boycotted is a nation in sight of surrender. Apply this economic, peaceful, silent, deadly, remedy and there will be no need for force." President Wilson got the deadly part right and the no need for force. Sanctions or force is UN-necessary in the big picture unless a known enemy is attacking the United States on its own soil. The unknown drives fear. The United State's perfunctory decisions appear to be unsubstantiated fear. At this time, it is important to note that not one Iranian participated in the 9/11 tragedy. A perception of the United States as a bully around the world cannot possibly be a positive influence on foreign relations.

The United States has imposed more sanctions than any other country in the world. Daniel Griswold is the director of the Cato Institutes Center for Trade Policy Studies. In "Going Alone on Economic Sanctions Hurts U.S. more than foes", he wrote the following, "According to the () Export Council, the United States has imposed more than 40 trade sanctions against three dozen countries since 1993. Sanctions have (. . .) deprived American companies of international business opportunities, punished domestic consumers, and hurt the poor and most vulnerable in the target countries. The council estimates that those sanctions have cost American exporters $15 billion to $19 billion in lost annual sales overseas and caused long-term damage to US companies-lost market share and reputations abroad as unreliable suppliers."

Sanctions drastically reduce America's ability to compete in a global market. The changing economy of the U.S. from manufacturing to a technological and services oriented economy depends on low cost foreign labor to produce domestic goods.

A war of attrition existed against Iraq by the U.S. and U.N. with ten years of economic sanctions prior to the Bush administration's unilateral attack on Iraq. A 2001 article published by the Associated

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