HKS Authors

See citation below for complete author information.

Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor, Emeritus

Abstract

As the death toll in Syria approached 1,000, President Barack Obama finally announced sanctions against the regime. His move stopped Americans doing business with President Bashar al-Assad, along with certain relatives and officials, and froze their US assets. Cynics scoffed, repeating the conventional wisdom that sanctions don’t work. In fact they can make a big difference and, with Syrian violence worsening, the time is right for more.

Citation

Nye, Jr., Joseph S. "Syria Can Prove That Sanctions Do Work." Financial Times, June 8, 2011.