FP
In the wake of reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad allegedly
used sarin, a chemical weapon, it appears that U.S. President Barack
Obama
is on the brink of providing the Syrian opposition with lethal weapons.
But it
certainly does not seem that the Obama administration pursued the full
range of
nonlethal options available, particularly those involving the
international
community. Here's an idea: To affect meaningful and decisive change in
Syria, which
is suffering from a humanitarian catastrophe, the international
community should
use all available diplomatic and economic leverage to choke off the
arms,
resources, and money flowing to the regime.
A new Human Rights First report
reveals that at least a dozen countries -- including Russia, Iran, North
Korea, Venezuela, Angola, Georgia, Lebanon, Cyprus, South Africa, and the United
Arab Emirates -- are continuing to provide the Assad
regime with weapons, fuel, military technology, and access to financial
markets. The paper provides both a unique overview of Assad's third-party
supporters and a roadmap the U.S. government can follow to crack down on them. The
U.S. government should use diplomacy to try to influence the countries
providing these resources as well as the countries allowing these resources to
pass through their jurisdiction. In addition, the U.S. Treasury should use
existing authority under the Syria sanctions regime to designate those entities
continuing to support the Assad regime and block them from the U.S.
marketplace.
