REFORM SANCTIONS POLICY

The Bush administration and the present Congress have an opportunity to
rescue U.S. policy on economic sanctions from years of indiscriminate abuse
by their predecessors. They should seize the moment. The imposition of
economic sanctions for political purposes has become a favored tool of U.S.
diplomacy in recent years.

Evidence is accumulating that this tool is greatly overused, and seldom
effective. According to a recent survey, the U.S. government maintains
economic sanctions on more than 70 nations, comprising nearly 40 percent of
the membership of the United Nations. Among the victims are Canada and
Mexico, our partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement, and such
staunch allies as Italy and Japan. Among the diverse concerns of these
sanctions are nuclear proliferation, terrorism, drug trafficking, whaling
and fishing practices, human, religious and labor rights and protection of
intellectual property. Secretary of State Colin Powell, concerned about the
welter of sanctions already in place, and searching for more flexible tools
for foreign policy, has asked Congress not to create new sanctions,
according to The Associated Press. His State Department is assessing what
changes are needed in present sanctions law. Economic sanctions are a
tricky tool of diplomacy.

At their best, they can help bring about the end of an oppressive regime,
as they did in South Africa in the 1980s and more recently in Serbia. At
their worst, they are a spur to black marketeering and the criminal
tendencies of sanctioned governments. Sometimes the threat of sanctions can
be more effective than their application. When applied, they are most
effective when they have broad international support.

Bilateral sanctions, like the vast majority of those on U.S. law books,
often are simply ineffective, while hurting U.S. exports in a competitive
world market. A classic example is the 1990 U.S. wheat embargo imposed by
President Carter on the Soviet Union after it invaded Afghanistan. The
Soviets turned to other suppliers and ignored the pressure, while U.S.
wheat farmers suffered. Now Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., has joined with Sen.
Richard Lugar, R-Ind., to propose legislation setting ground rules for the
imposition of sanctions.

It would require a clearly stated rationale, a cost-benefit analysis, and a
sunset date for ending the sanctions. This legislation deserves serious
consideration by the administration.