This Week at ISN

05 Nov - 09 Nov 2012 Economic sanctions are now a common tactic designed to coerce cooperation from regimes like Burma, North Korea and Iran. As we discover this week, however, there is little consensus about whether or not sanctions actually work. This now marks the conclusion of our first Editorial Plan, which lasted for one year and comprises 42 different IR and security-related thematic dossiers. We invite you to revisit any of the topics covered thus far, and if you have not already done so, would appreciate your feedback on some of the ISN's products and services by completing a short survey.

Commerce, Sanctions and Security

Economic Sanctions Do They Work?
05 Nov 2012

Despite decades of debate, this question remains a contentious one. In this feature we jump into the fray and feature a range of voices on whether sanctions work or not, including Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. More Stratfor on Economic Sanctions
06 Nov 2012

Economic sanctions are used by stronger states to coerce 'proper behavior' from weaker ones, argues Stratfors's Reva Bhalla in this video. However, she also warns that relying on sanctions alone will lead to failure; additional coercive measures are almost always necessary to achieve one's political ends. More Successful Sanctions Serbia and Montenegro, 1992-1995
06 Nov 2012

Cases where economic sanctions have obviously worked are rare. However, UNSC sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro between 1992 and 1995 may be such a case. According to Victor Comras, they led to the signing of the Dayton Agreement and the end of the Bosnian War. More Iraq Sanctions and the '90's Overhang'
07 Nov 2012

UN sanctions against Saddam Husseins regime had a devastating impact on ordinary Iraqi citizens. But instead of merely condemning their effects, argues George A Lopez in this podcast, we should look at the lessons we collectively learned from this experience and the reforms that have occurred since then. More Sanctioning Iran: Implications and Consequences
08 Nov 2012

Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has staked his political legitimacy on the countrys nuclear development program. This means that sanctions imposed by external actors are unlikely to succeed as long as the present regime remains, or so argues Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi. More Weapons Proliferation and Sanctions Future Opportunities
09 Nov 2012

Sanctions imposed against Iran and North Korea have failed to curb both states' nuclear programs. W Pal Singh Sidhu argues that the key to more effective sanction regimes may lie with talks that cover a broader range of issues, alongside sanctions that have been endorsed by the entire international system. More

Security Watch

Vietnam A Delicate Balancing Act

05 Nov 2012

Vietnam's strategic environment is rapidly changing. In the coming years a more aggressive China will shape the country's defense readiness, argues Kym Bergman from Defense Review Asia. More Iraq Amnesty Could Set Killers Loose
06 Nov 2012

Iraq's hotly debated amnesty law has its ambiguities. Laith Hammoudi contemplates whether giving Iraqi prisoners a fresh start will prevent victims and their families from receiving justice. More The Future of Space: Trouble on the Final Frontier
07 Nov 2012

When it comes to space technology, the distinction between peaceful and non-peaceful uses is not always clear. Today, Ryan Faith reviews the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty and concludes that now is the time to revise it and apply new concepts of deterrence in space. More Troubled Times for the Sinai Peninsula
08 Nov 2012

The Sinai Peninsula has recently experienced an upsurge in extremist violence, particularly against its energy infrastructure. Improving the security of this fragile region, writes Sonia Rothwell, will depend on the domestic and regional policies of the Mursi government and the Obama administration. More China and the Arctic: The Next 'Strategic' Frontline
09 Nov 2012

Given China's quest for natural resources, it comes as no surprise that it is increasingly making its presence felt in the Arctic. Bhavna Singh explores China's 'northern strategy' and its future implications. More

ISN Blog
Uniting Syria
05 Nov 2012

Syrian opposition activists regularly express disappointment with the level of international support they receive. According to Volker Perthes, however, they must recognize that outside interests are first waiting for the countrys rebels to transform themselves into a coherent and effective movement. More Time to Test Iran
06 Nov 2012

Efforts to thwart Irans nuclear ambitions have focused on deterrence and preventive military action. Richard Haass, however, believes there is a third option i.e., negotiating a ceiling on Tehrans nuclear program that is high enough for its purposes but low enough for the US, Israel, and others. More The Dear Sister Disappears
07 Nov 2012

North Koreas Kim Kyong-hui Kim Jong-ils sister and the reputed power behind Kim Jong-uns current rule is reportedly ill. Might her illness prevent Pyongyang from dealing effectively with a new round of food shortages in the countryside, asks Yuriko Koike, and thereby threaten the entire Korean peninsula? More The Drone in the Desert
08 Nov 2012

Israel recently shot down a drone operated by Hezbollah near its nuclear facility in Dimona. According to Itmar Rabinovich, this event may inspire the Iranian government to demand that its current nuclear-centered disputes be made part of a larger effort to ban nuclear weapons throughout the Middle East. More Global Zero at Ground Zero
09 Nov 2012

While Russia and the US possess 90% of the worlds nuclear warheads, Shlomo Ben-Ami considers these inventories less of a threat than nuclear proliferation. Nuclear disarmament efforts, he argues, should focus on thwarting the emergence of nuclear-armed states rather than on whittling down existing stocks. More

Videos
Iran's Currency Market Clampdown The EU and US sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program are biting. The rial has been undermined leading to street protests and the closure of unofficial currency markets in Tehran. Darryl Thomson reports on Iranians seeking solace in the dollar and the options left for the regime to restore confidence. More History of the North Caucasus' Instability Stratfor Eurasia Analyst Eugene Chausovsky discusses the importance, geography and history of the North Caucasus, which has been a continual security challenge for Russia. More Do Sanctions Work? In this Q and A session for the Legatum Institute and Foreign Policy, former South African President FW De Klerk describes the effectiveness of sanctions as a double-edged sword. More

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