Were Sanctions In Iraq Effective Before Operation Iraqi Freedom?
One of the largest and most important intergovernmental organizations is the United Nations. The main goals of the United Nations are to work towards developing security, human rights for all, and promote social and economic progress. One way the United Nations ensures international peace and security is by imposing sanctions. A sanction is a tool that addresses any actions against a state that has violated international law. When resolutions fail, Sanctions are leveled. Sanctions attempt to force one country to comply with the standards of another. They are used as an incentive to change behavior or as a preventive measure and considered to be an alternative to war. Their effectiveness depends on the extent of damage to the economy and the nation’s willingness to comply with the conditions imposed on it (see Davis and Engerman 2003). Sanctions are a very rough double edge sword; a good summary of sanctions in these regards with Iraq comes from the Watson Institute.
“If they are implemented effectively, sanctions cause economic disruption and financial hardship on the targeted parties. These consequences are mitigated to some degree by exemptions to cover basic needs, as appropriate, which are administered by relevant sanctions committees. However sanctions in the extreme, could conceivably violate the right to life, for instance if a travel ban prevents people from leaving the country to seek medical aid, or when financial sanctions are so stringent that people do not have resources to buy basic goods such as food. However, existing UN sanctions regimes invariably include a possibility to grant exemptions precisely to avoid those kinds of situations. The travel ban could also conflict with rights and freedoms such as the freedom of religion, if the particular religion requires pilgrimages, and the right to seek asylum. It is noteworthy that UN sanctions committees have routinized exemptions for travel for religious purposes,” (Watson...
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