Countries funding, supporting and harboring terrorists were thought to be just as bad as the terrorists and would be handled sternly as such, according to the proposals of this administration' War on Terror.

Syria has done little to get rid of the terror organizations it knowingly has operating in its country. organizations which have used Syrian borders to transport bombers and weapons into Palestine for nefarious purposes against Israel. Syria has also not halted its development of bio/chem weapons.



http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=03/10/09/1550253

the Arab League denounced it and the French, naturally, opposes the sanctions and is seeking further economic relations with Syria as is their right to do as they wish.

questions?
are the sanctions Justified?
If not sanctions, then what other measures will deter countries from harboring terror orgs, building wmd?

*Syria also has a horrific human rights record.

Actually, Syria has been very forthcoming about information on Al Qaeda, which it loaths. Unfortunately, it views anti-Israeli organizations as legitimate resistance groups.

Yes, they are hypocrites for occupying Lebanon while being furious with the Israelis for occupying the Golan Heights. However, I believe that this is between Syria and Israel. Bashar doesn't like being bullied, and American attempts to change Syria's behavior might backfire and push them radically left. I can't think of any good that would come from sanctions. I don't know if there is a solution to this one, but I believe sanctions would be like offering battery acid to the wound.

I do not think such acts are justified. For one we cant clear the u.s name or reason for Iraq as of yet, i also don’t imagine having so much pressure and activity in the middle east by just America and Israel is going to go over well. Has any links of anything been made about the chem/bio being used on people or being distributed to terrorist orgs. IF not what the heck are we doing. That sounds like more of a racist generalization then anything else. I am also sure a case of terror could be made against most any middle eastern nation for various reasons, i am also sure that the governments themselves cant truly make an impact on stopping such activities. To me this is something pretty far above nifty political terms and such.

I myself would strongly just make Iraq work without being the image America has in the middle east, for i am sure that by itself is one of the main sources of terror org generation. More to the point, we should do what we set out to in Iraq, or part of it or what we can, which is make it a democratic and functioning country in the middle east that is able to be its culture, not blindly set out against the middle east without concern on why they do such activities in the first place. Or else you might as well cut through the jargon.

Syria promised to dismantle training camps and HQ's of Hezbollah and Hamas but has failed to do so. Sanctions are the only way to make it clear that they are not a friend in the war on terrorism and they need to be punished. They may be helping with Al-Queda, but when it comes to enemies of Israel, forget it.

Might have worked when we had international credibility, now it would just back fire badly. We have no moral ground anymore. Had we done things like this after 9/11 instead of starting a personal vendetta war in Iraq, I would agree sanctions might work. But even then, we need to immediately level sanctions against Isreal first. Weapons inspection programs, halt of all sales of arms, complete cutting off of foriegn aid except for medicine and food etc, need to take place in Isreal anyway for anyone to have any sanctions in place for any other country really, as Isreal is in violation of a host of UN resolutions, is an aparthied goverment, etc etc.

You obviously have no understanding of the Middle East. Syria has been a terrorist-haven for a long time. Because of our concerns for int'l opinion, we have been hesitant to be forceful with them. Since they are so readily identified as the anti-Israel nation, any stance we take against them will be viewed in that light.

However, that was prior to 9/11. Since then we've changed course, and for good reason. We can't sit back and cross our fingers in hopes that we won't be attacked again. Post 9/11 Americans know and understand that. Those still living in the pre-9/11 world don't. Thankfully, none of them are in charge of our security.

We need to turn up the heat on Syria through sanctions. And we need to send stronger signals that we won't get in Israel's way if they take them on even more than they have to date.

You claim our credibility is shot? You're a tad late. It was shot, by a President who didn't have the guts to stand up to the terrorists. Which is precisely why 9/11 rained down on us. No more. We're rebuilding that credibility. Is it costly?
Sure is. But it's a necessary cost. An investment in the future. One that will eventually pay the best of all dividends, peace.

You're kidding right? Syria is known to be a terrorist haven. Whoever in the world doesn't know that needs to get out from under his or her rock. France & Germany has acknowledged the existance of terrorists in Syria. It's also known they they were & probably still are supporters of Abu Nidal.

Something has to be done. sanctions, regime change, resolutions. Should the world wait for a strike by Syria? or Iran? or North Korea? these are not places who subscribe to the notion that 'we are the world." They harbor and support terrorist, oppress and torture their citizens. not especially people friendly countries.

is ignoring them the best that can be done?

I am no fan of sanctions. Look at China...she is communist, she is one of the world's leading human right's abusers and the US has a very open relationship with her now. Do we worry about China anymore? I doubt it...China needs America's penchant for wal-mart ...we have created a relationship with equality..and the more China grows the more she will depend on us as we will depend on her.

Or look at Pakistan...oh again our sanctions sure put an end to their nuclear plans. Same effectiveness occured with their neighbor India.

Also compare this to the countries we have "shunned" or sanctioned...Cuba, Iraq (again.. 12 yrs of sanctions really helped there didn't it) Iran, North Korea. It is obviously an ineffective tool and I personally think it exasperates these situations and harms the civilians of these countries more than anyone else.

You lock them down and then what? Their black markets grow, illegal trade grows, they no longer seek the international forum but grow to despise it. Next thing you know, being that they are starving to death, they start renting out their country for terrorist training camps or if they are as clever as North Korea they upstart a blackmarket arms factory.

Oh and then there is the whole bit about them being just slightly anti-business, anti-capitalism and anti-free markets...why are the Repulicans and conservatives supporting this nonsense?

We claim to be the great bringers of liberation, democracy and the free market system...but we fail to show any true faith in any of these when we choose to sanction another country.