The Golf-Crisis in August 1990 was the first test for the newly strengthened UN. The resolutions of this time are all formulated very clear. It seemed that the international community spoke with one voice on the Iraqi aggression against Kuwait and that the UN could finally work as guarantor of the international peace.
But soon after the US-led military operation “Desert Storm” that pushed the Iraqi army back into their territory the first euphoria started to crumble. In the Security Council Resolution of April 1991 it became clear that there was more to the Iraq-Case than just the aggression against Kuwait. In the formulation of resolution 687 it was obvious that the US wanted to bring the downfall of Saddam Hussein about.
The sanctions which were imposed on Iraq with resolution 661 in August 1990 were redefined and linked to the absolute disarmament of the Iraqi programme for weapons of mass destruction. These sanctions were supposed to increase the pressure on Saddam Hussein to comply with the demands made by the resolutions. Focusing on this the Security Council almost completely ignored the humanitarian aspects of the sanctions. By cutting Iraq off the international trading market and freezing all of its banking accounts it was just a matter of time until Iraq would run out of money and the people would suffer from famine.
First attempts to solve the developing humanitarian crisis of the Iraqi people were made in resolutions 706(1991) and 712(1991) which allowed Iraq to sell limited quantities of oil to meet the people’s needs.
The government of Iraq rejected these resolutions because the sale of petroleum and its products was linked to other demands which were considered to be not acceptable. So it took four more years until the “Oil-for-Food” programme (OFF) in 1995 made a new attempt to handle the increasingly disastrous humanitarian situation in Iraq.
In the ongoing debate about reforming the UN one of the major topics is the debate about “smart” or “targeted sanctions”.
After a brief description of the second Gulf War I will discuss the problems and failures of the UN sanctions policy on Iraq from the Golf-Crisis in 1991 to the outbreak of the current war in 2003 that still haunts the country and compare them to the concept of targeted sanctions. In the end it will be possible to draw some conclusions of what can be learned for the future from the failures that have been made in Iraq.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Theory of sanctions
2.1 The logic behind sanctions
2.2 Problems of past sanction regimes
2.3 The concept of targeted sanctions
3. Case study on Iraq
3.1 The second Gulf War
3.2 The impact of UN sanctions on post war Iraq
3.3 The humanitarian crisis and the Oil-for-Food program
4. Conclusion
5. Literature
Objectives and Core Topics
This paper examines the evolution and impact of the United Nations' sanctions policy, specifically focusing on the comprehensive sanctions imposed on Iraq from 1990 to 2003. The primary research goal is to contrast these historical, often counterproductive "dumb" sanctions with the contemporary concept of "smart" or "targeted" sanctions, while evaluating the humanitarian consequences and the failures of enforcement mechanisms observed during the Iraq crisis.
- The logic and theoretical foundations of international sanctions regimes.
- Challenges in implementing and enforcing effective embargoes.
- The transition from comprehensive sanctions to targeted, "smart" sanctions.
- Case study analysis of the UN sanctions policy on Iraq (1990-2003).
- The humanitarian crisis and the institutional management of the Oil-for-Food program.
Excerpt from the Book
2.3 The concept of targeted sanctions
Should sanctions be implemented as comprehensive ones, including the ban of any international economic transactions at all? Or should it be the objective of the international community just to sanction the ones who represent and formulate their country’s policy?
These are the questions which the Security Council faces when it comes to formulating resolutions against uncooperative states. After experiences that have been made with problems resulting from comprehensive restrictions, the UN seemed to realize how important the humanitarian aspects of imposed sanctions are.
Under the leadership of the governments of Switzerland, Germany and Sweden international experts, academics and practitioners met in several meetings to discuss issues of strengthening international sanctions and making them more effective. These meetings became known as the Interlaken, Bonn-Berlin and Stockholm Processes. Each of them worked on different topics and the results were published as contributions to the ongoing UN reform debate.
“Smart” or “targeted” sanctions as they are often called, are supposed to reduce the unintended negative side effects of the comprehensive sanctions that were most often imposed by the Security Council in the 1990s. These sanctions are “directed against the policymakers responsible for reprehensible policies and the elites who benefit from and support them.” (Watson Institute 2004: p.2). The definition shows that humanitarian effects on the targeted country’s society can only be reduced but not completely avoided. Cortright and Lopez describe humanitarian costs and sanction’s success as two extremes on a continuum hence they cannot be separated from each other. But in directing the sanctions against policymakers the UN takes the pressure away from the, in most cases, innocent society.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the historical context post-Cold War and introduces the shift in UN policy regarding the Iraq crisis and the emerging debate on targeted sanctions.
2. Theory of sanctions: This section explores the legal and political logic behind UN sanctions, the persistent problems with past regimes, and the definition and proposed advantages of "smart" sanctions.
3. Case study on Iraq: This part provides a detailed chronological analysis of the sanctions against Iraq, covering the impact of the Second Gulf War, the specific conditions of Resolution 687, and the humanitarian ramifications of the Oil-for-Food program.
4. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the lessons learned from the Iraqi case, arguing for a more nuanced, strategic, and human rights-aligned approach to future sanctions regimes.
5. Literature: This section provides a comprehensive list of all scholarly sources, UN documents, and resolutions referenced throughout the study.
Keywords
United Nations, Security Council, Sanctions Policy, Iraq, Oil-for-Food, Smart Sanctions, Targeted Sanctions, Humanitarian Crisis, Resolution 661, Resolution 687, Conflict Resolution, Embargoes, Human Rights, Diplomacy, International Law
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the history of UN sanctions policy, specifically the comprehensive sanctions regime imposed on Iraq between 1990 and 2003, and the lessons learned regarding their humanitarian and political impact.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
The central themes include the evolution of international sanctions, the distinction between "dumb" (comprehensive) and "smart" (targeted) sanctions, the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, and the institutional challenges faced by the UN.
What is the primary research question?
The research seeks to evaluate why the sanctions policy on Iraq proved problematic and how these failures have informed the modern development and conceptualization of targeted, smart sanctions.
Which scientific methods are employed in this study?
The work utilizes a qualitative case study methodology, analyzing UN Security Council resolutions, expert reports from international processes (e.g., Interlaken), and scholarly assessments of sanction effectiveness.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section details the legal foundations of sanctions, the transition from broad to targeted measures, the specific timeline of the Iraq case—from the invasion of Kuwait to the Oil-for-Food program—and a critical evaluation of these measures.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include United Nations, Sanctions Policy, Iraq, Smart Sanctions, Humanitarian Crisis, and Conflict Resolution.
What does the author identify as the main flaw of the 1990s sanctions on Iraq?
The author argues that these sanctions were "dumb" because they imposed severe humanitarian suffering on the general Iraqi population without effectively pressuring the regime, while the regime was able to exploit the situation for political purposes.
What is the significance of the "Oil-for-Food" program mentioned in the text?
It represents an attempt by the UN to mitigate the humanitarian disaster caused by the comprehensive embargoes, yet it remained largely mired in administrative difficulties, political controversy, and mismanagement.
- Quote paper
- Politikwissenschaftler B.A. Sebastian Feyock (Author), 2008, Lessons learned – The UN’s sanctions policy on Iraq from 1990 to 2003 and its implications for the future, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/94491
