Let me confess: I’m not a big fan of sanctions. Much too often in the past they have been as much a substitute for policy as an effective part of policy. They are easy to impose but difficult to implement, and it’s often hard to judge their effects. They often have unforeseen consequences that can linger long after they have been lifted. Criminal networks in the Balkans are just one example. The strengthening of Revolutionary Guard economic networks in Iran is another.
So I’m a sanctions dove, not a sanctions hawk.
