As the challenge of preventing military conflict has become increasingly complex in the post-Cold War era, economic sanctions are being applied with growing frequency. Sanctions are being used to enforce international law, to deter aggression and terrorism, to defend democracy and human rights, and to prevent nuclear proliferation. In this timely book, some of the world's leading scholars and policymakers critically address questions about the utility, appropriateness, and success or failure of sanctions as well as their impact on the poor and innocent.
This volume takes up two broad areas of inquiry: It assesses the general aspects of sanctions—their history, purpose, effectiveness, political and economic impact, and their relation to other forms of peacekeeping and international diplomacy. It also examines specific case studies, focusing on recent conflicts in Haiti, Iraq, and the former Yugoslavia, as well as the impact of sanctions in South Africa's climate of political change. Finally, the book analyzes the experiences of some of the pivotal actors who have invoked sanctions—the United States, Russia, and the United Nations—and concludes with a discussion of the future of sanctions research and policy.