International Sanctions & Consequences, Iraq 1990-2003

International sanctions has been the subject of extensive political debate, its effectiveness is highly questioned and its wide implementation even more so. Yet economic sanctions still remain the primary punitive response in the international community, states violation of sovereignty, authoritarianism and/or deviations from the human rights charter are regularly met with international condemnation and sanctions. But do they have the desired effect? Many scholars claim that there is an inherent ineptitude in international sanctions, especially in regard to authoritarian states and dictatorships. Economic sanctions intended to cripple a nation’s economy in order to force a state to negotiations, more often than not, have an adverse efficacy on closed states where economic disparity maim the population rather than the ruling elite. The purpose of this paper will therefore be to achieve a greater understanding of international economic sanctions and their impact on an authoritarian state. The case of international sanctions enacted against Iraq between the years 1990 and 2003 will be the focal point of this analysis where the difficulties of implementing sanctions against an autocrat will be highlighted. Keywords: Iraq, International Sanctions, Gulf War, United Nations, UNSCOM