the Lord Asli U. Bali and Aziz Rama defending the view that the US needs to stop using massive unilateral economic sanctions against other countries. Here is their point of view:
“In a world in distress due to a global pandemic, it is high time to stop the so-called “widely targeted” sanctions. They are weapons of mass impoverishment in relation to the rivals and opponents of the United States. Greatly similar to the unilateral embargo (one-sided, because the decision about them was taken solely by the US authorities — approx. ed.) cut off entire countries from international financial markets. They use the exceptional position of the United States (the world economy and Finance — approx. ed.) and should be condemned. They are an expression of Imperial foreign policy concept, whether these sanctions are aimed at caeau regime change (as in the case of sanctions against Iran and Venezuela) or whether they focus on the overall coercion of other countries to dictate to US national security.
If the US wants to defend the view that some of the more narrowly targeted sanctions — such embargo on arms sales to some aggressive countries, killing civilians — are important global goals, Americans need to act differently. They need to start working in the framework of the time-consuming mnohostranne diplomacy and not to use its global financial supremacy, to force others to participate in its sanctions operations]”.
now, let’s say, on behalf of themselves, U.S. citizens: our economic war against several countries were brutal and illegitimate even before the pandemic began. And now the pandemic has made the human cost of these economic wars are the more obvious supporters of the sanctions all the more difficulte to justify them. This has not stopped supporters of sanctions to try to shake off responsibility for all new cases of destitution and death in countries that have become targets of sanctions. But the arguments of the supporters of the sanctions are becoming more and more labored, they gives despair.
We witness, as our economic war undermined the resources of another state and reduces its ability to withstand unexpected disasters. And in the case of the current pandemic, we see the shrinking ability of other countries to resist the spread of the deadly virus that threatens the neighbors of these countries and the world as a whole. Attempt to isolate and punish some other country may not only cause terrible suffering in those countries themselves, it endangers others, not quarrelling with the United States government.
the Economic war is not just disgusting and immoral policy, it is also a threat to global health and security. Denying Iran the most important to save people from the epidemic resources and technical capabilities, we are doing harm not only the Iranian people, kill not only Iranians. The epidemic may spill over to other countries. That is why the Pakistani Prime Minister has recently called for the lifting of US sanctions against Iran. And there is evidence that the epidemic is poured into the territory of Afghanistan as Afghan refugees return home.
So Afghanistan has already received this epidemic as “imports”. And every day adds new sufferers as thousands of Afghan refugees continue to return home across the border with Iran — a country that reported one of the world’s highest levels of morbidity and mortality from Covid-19.
“Returnees”, some of which definitely had contracted the coronavirus in Iran, often in crowded conditions on both sides of the border, where there are no toilets, and soap and other hygiene products clearly in short supply.
Later, in Afghanistan, they have to travel in overcrowded Afghan “minibuses” in the form of buses and cars in. After a two-hour drive, they’ll reach the city of Herat — a swarm of people of the metropolis in the West of Afghanistan. There again — sleeping in crowded hostels and back room numerous tea rooms and pub.
As indicated Bali and Rana, US campaign for “maximum pressure” is not just trying to get elected the United States as enemies of the country take our maximalist demands. It is also trying to get other third countries to participate in our campaigns, pressure whether they agree with our goals or not:
“abroad, the consequences of those actions [by the US] to democratic norms and reasonableness of decisions even more disastrous than for the US. “Secondary” sanctions are forcing others. Not involved in the conflict “third” countries to implement the crazy ideas of the leaders of the United States, regardless of accept or do not accept American foreign policy the citizens of these third countries. In the case of Iran, some U.S. officials, such as Pompeo, for example, we can consider the people infected with coronavirus and the collapse of health care as a desired effect — something that promotes regime change.”
the Context
Onet: another victim of the coronavirus will be anti-Russian санкцииOnet.pl24.03.2020 SvD: the Swedish foreign Minister urged not to mitigate the anti-Russian санкцииИноСМИ04.03.2020 Fox News: US to impose sanctions in the relation “daughters” “Rosneft”Fox News19.02.2020
But as you can see the policy Pompeo against Iran in the Middle East and Europe who are forced against their will to participate in this anti-Iran sanctions scheme? Especially if it spreading the infection in their own Nations and everywhere to cause a mass extinction? In the eyes of thinking of the representatives of these middle Eastern and European peoples, such a policy is not just inhumane. It dilutes any ideal of a global order based on local self-government and autonomy, in which it is the voters, the public make decisions on vital issues. Such issues that determine to live or die and the country of which they are citizens, voters, and live or die neighbors near and far, directly dependent on what is happening in this country.
there are No insoluble contradictions between the United States acted unilaterally, making decisions themselves, and the international system in which all countries obey the rules, Owen. But in recent years, and even decades, the US managed to get out of this contradiction only because most of our allies expect from America’s constructive use of its immense power. But gradually, and especially in recent years, these allies began to see how the United States used its power to all harm. In the heads of our allies is starting to creep into the thought that the US cannot be relied upon. We do not use their power responsibly, and the US government is behaving more and more like a country of rogue, the statepariah.
Recently, the American scientist van Jackson, an employee of Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand), spoke about the shortcomings of sanctions regimes:
“Sanctions for the most part are fairly ineffective. They have only a symbolic action, they are essentially statements of intent… the Irony of the situation is that they are typically statements with the moral authority, especially in the case of North Korea… But in a quasi-totalitarian power of your sanctions risks. You to drive the management regime into a corner from which he could throw himself into the attack with the courage of despair. You take a big risk when doing such things. However, the US government somehow does not feel any special fear and anxiety when it creates such a risky situation. I in such cases, experiencing strong anxiety, but our politicians all the same grass, because in case of conflict, formally it will be another government. And here is a pandemic gives us a unique chance: it is possible to regain moral authority, to reduce human suffering. And just yesterday — Pompeo announces new sanctions against Iran. Here in the midst of a pandemic, it answers her call, and the answer — the new sanctions! The new sanctions!”
the Most recent vote for the lifting of sanctions against Iranian human rights activist Hadi Hemi. He literally pleads with US to remove the sanctions in response to the pandemic in these words:
“We can spend months, listing that it is repressive [Iranian] government did not, in deciding what punishment it deserves. But while we months to do it, many more people will die in Iran, and the virus will continue to spread. This collective punishment of the Iranian people will only pose threatsfrom our own humane efforts, allowing epidemics to go beyond the boundaries of Iran.”
the Humanitarian disaster should be our opportunities to show solidarity with the people suffering in other countries. This is especially true in our case when all countries are faced with a common threat. This is not the time to exploit the disaster to win in the long vendetta or to try to enforce wrong from the start a policy of “regime change”.
About the author: Daniel Larson is the editor of The American Conservative. He holds a degree in history and was the author of editions of the New York Times Book Review, Dallas Morning News, World Politics Review, Politico Magazine, Orthodox Life, Front Porch Republic
the new York times contain estimates of the solely foreign media and do not reflect the views of the editorial Board of the new York times.
