An Economic Blockade Can Defeat President Bashar as-Assad

Dictators in the Middle East, particularly Syria’s Bashar al-Assad, can no longer trust that the world will ignore atrocities, explains Malcolm Rifkind for the Telegraph. He gives two reasons: The Arab League, once an ineffectual voice for diplomacy, is now upping its commitment to apply pressure, lending support to uprisings in Arab States. Turkey, which wields the greatest power of any Muslim state in the Middle East, has spoken out against Assad, supporting the opposition, as are Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The Arab League and Turkey, along with the US and the EU, should lead an economic embargo of Syria, Rifkind argues. Sealing Syria’s borders from its neighbor states and banning commercial air traffic from the country could topple Assad’s regime. Despite Russia and China’s unwillingness to take action against the dictator, the rest of the world could impose a strict economic embargo and weaken Assad. Syrians would suffer hardships, but temporary sacrifice might prevent years of abuse, bloodshed and civil war. – YaleGlobal