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The Myth of Crippling Sanctions

(Washington Times) Editorial - The White House keeps waiting for "crippling sanctions" to have an impact on Iran's nuclear program. It will be a long wait. The word "crippling" has been attached to every real or proposed sanctions regime since the 1950s. Even if sanctions bite, they don't necessarily interrupt weapons development. Through the 1990s and 2000s, North Korea faced a shifting array of sanctions and incentives geared toward dissuading the development of a nuclear weapon. North Korea was crippled to begin with; it was among the poorest countries in the world. The lesson is that even in a destitute country where the people have been reduced to eating grass, if the leadership devotes sufficient resources to weapons development, it can achieve nuclear capability. The idea that sanctions could be crippling enough to dissuade the mullahs from achieving their objective of possessing nuclear weapons defies both logic and experience. It is unlikely that sanctions have driven the mullahs to the bargaining table. Iran's new offer for talks is a delaying tactic. The only thing sanctions are crippling right now is movement toward an effective solution to Tehran's nuclear aspirations.
2012-03-08 00:00:00
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