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Squeezing Syria

(Washington Post) Editorial - The Assad regime is demonstrating that it has no strategy for responding to popular protests other than mass murder - and that appeals for "reform" by foreign governments are foolish. Only the end of Assad's regime will end the violence. Outsiders can help by abandoning efforts to "engage" the dictator and instead stepping up political and economic sanctions. In Washington, a sanctions bill before Congress deserves a fresh look. Sponsored by Sens. Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) , it would build on the European oil import ban by penalizing others who buy Syrian oil or invest in the energy sector and by targeting Syrian trade in refined energy products. More so than Iran or other rogue states, Syria is vulnerable to an economic squeeze. The more that Western governments can apply it, the greater the chance of saving lives.
2011-09-09 00:00:00
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