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No
End In Sight
In a speech before
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, January 24, 2001, Senate
Majority Leader Trent Lott included the following comments in his discussion
of the Senate's policy priorities for 2001: "We clearly need to take
a look at our sanctions policy. It's not so much when we put them on,
it's the fact that they almost never come off, or there's no process
... we do expect to take a serious look at how we use and abuse sanctions."
Annual API
Statistics Briefing
January
19, 2001
Red
Cavaney, President and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute said
in an address at the API's annual statistics briefing, "Unilateral
sanctions do not change foreign country behavior. They cost American
jobs, including jobs producing energy."
Baucus
Calls Results of USA-Engage 2000 Report Card "Sea Change" for Sanctions
December 13, 2000
In a speech to the
Washington International Trade Association, Senator Max Baucus said
the Congress is winning the battle to end US unilateral sanctions. Baucus
noted that 59 US senators received a grade of 'A+' or 'A' on trade and
engagement issues in the 2000 USA-Engage report card. As examples, Baucus
cited this year's efforts to end restrictions on food and medicine sales
to Cuba, and the vote to grant China permanent normal trade relations.
US
Cuba Policy Still Divisive
November
28, 2000
Otto Reich, President
of the US-Cuba Business Council, argued in a recent speech that it is
too risky for US companies to trade with Cuba. This opinion contrasts
with that of others, who believe that Cuba could become an important
export market if the US embargo were lifted. Members of Congress have
indicated that these opinions are likely to clash in the 107th Congress
next year.
USA*ENGAGE
- Lessons Learned
June 23, 2000
In a speech before the French Institute of International Relations in
Paris, Bill Lane, Washington Director of Government Affairs for Caterpillar
and Chairman of USA*ENGAGE, cited the significant progress that has
been made in the organization’s four-year educational initiative to
seek alternatives to U.S. unilateral sanctions.
Introduction
of "The Cuba Trade Normalization Act of 2000"
May 25, 2000
Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) introduced a new bill to create the "first
step down the road to a peaceful transition to a democratic society
and a market economy in Cuba." The bill, S. 2617, "The Cuba Trade Normalization
Act of 2000," repeals the current sanctions policy, which for the last
40 years has failed to achieve its objectives, and replaces it with
a policy of engagement, which has proven effective time and again.
American-Iranian
Relations
March 17, 2000
In a positive step for US-Iranian relations, Secretary of State Madeleine
K. Albright gave a speech today in which she announced the easing of
US sanctions against Iran. "The United States recognizes Iran's importance
in the Gulf. And we have worked hard in the past to improve difficult
relationships with many other countries -- whether the approach used
has been called détente, principled engagement, constructive dialogue
or something else. We are open to such a policy now. We want to work
together with Iran to bring down what President Khatami refers to as
the 'wall of mistrust.'"
Agriculture:
Trade, Aid, and Foreign Policy
March 6, 2000
"The Administration will support sensible sanctions reform initiatives
in the Congress, particularly proposals that provide for systematic
consideration of sanctions before they are enacted and imposed. We want
improved discipline in both the Congress and the Executive Branch and
Presidential discretion to modify or lift sanctions that are not working
and which hurt our interests."
- Alan Larson, Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and
Agricultural Affairs
President
Clinton Wants China in the WTO
February 16, 2000
In his February 16, 2000 press conference, President Clinton expressed
his strongly held view that it is in the United States' best economic
and security interests for China to become a member of the WTO. "[H]aving
China in a rule-based system increases the likelihood not only that
China will follow the rules of the road in terms of the international
economy, but that China will cooperate more in other forums -- the United
Nations and many other areas -- to try to help reduce, rather than increase,
the proliferation of dangerous weapons or technology, for example."
Remarks
by President Jimmy Carter at the National Geographic Society
I think in every instance where we have sustained sanctions, they are
counterproductive. ... I think the best way to change the government
of Iraq and Cuba and others, is to abandon our sanctions and let there
be free trade, free visitation, then give them the food and medicine
they need and let them see the advantages of trading with us and then
maybe we can open their eyes to what freedom and democracy really mean.
Statement
of Senator Christopher J. Dodd for the Committee on Foreign Relations
Hearing to Review Legislation on Economic Sanctions Reform.
The focus of these legislative initiatives has been to provide streamlined
guidelines for both the Executive and Legislative Branches to follow
in considering the imposition of future sanctions as well as provide
critical waiver authority to the President to guarantee that sufficient
flexibility is preserved in the context of legislatively mandated sanctions,
both current and prospective.
Under
Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs
Stuart Eizenstat before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the
subject the use of sanctions as policy tools.
The Administration has a clear position, Mr. Chairman, on the role of
economic sanctions. Properly designed, implemented and applied as a
part of a coherent strategy, sanctions--including economic sanctions--are
a valuable tool for enforcing international norms and protecting our
national interests. At the same time, sanctions are a blunt instrument.
They are not a panacea nor are they cost free. Indeed, used inappropriately,
they can actually impede the attainment of our objectives and come at
a significant cost to other U.S. policy objectives.
Under Secretary of
State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs Stuart Eizenstat
on-the-record briefing with Rick Newcomb Director, Office of Foreign
Assets Control, Treasury Department
Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs,
Stuart Eizenstat, recently conducted a briefing with Rick Newcomb, Director
of the Office of Foreign Assets Control at the Treasury Department on
the subject of the Clinton Administration's recent actions regarding
the easing of U.S. unilateral sanctions on shipments of food and medicine
to certain countries.
Testimony of Richard J.
Swift Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Foster Wheeler
Corporation
March 4, 1999
On Behalf of the National Foreign Trade Council, Inc. Before the Subcommittee
on International Trade Committee on Ways and Means U.S. House of Representatives
Remarks by Kenneth T. Derr, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive
Officer, Chevron Corporation
November 5, 1998
"The U.S. has sanctions against Algeria and Angola . . . Bahrain and
Egypt . . . Kuwait, India, Pakistan . . . China and Russia . . . Saudi
Arabia . . . Venezuela . . . and Burma . . . to name just a few. The
sanctions on these, and other countries, constitute a confusing maze
of overlapping laws and regulations. Laws and regulations that authorize
or mandate the deliberate imposition, or threatened imposition, of unilateral
economic sanctions to change the behavior of a foreign nation or the
conduct of its nationals."
Remarks by William J. Daley, Secretary of Commerce,
July 23, 1998
"Now, let me end with one international issue -- economic sanctions. Lately,
we have become a sanction happy nation. Today, the United States has sanctions
on more than half the world's population. And in the last few years we
have seen three dozen states and cities create or consider sanctions.
They want to punish a handful of nation for action they think are wrong."
Remarks by James E. Perrella,
Chairman, President and CEO, Ingersoll-Rand Company
June 24, 1998
"I am pleased to have been asked to address a critical and topical issue
of American and international trade policy - the need for the United
States to change the way it implements economic and trade sanctions
against other countries."
Address by Ambassador Paul D. Taylor (Ret.)
June 16, 1998, Current Strategy Forum
"Don't just stand there, do something! Few phrases better capture the
American spirit of activism... [Sanctions] may give us the satisfaction
of condemning objectionable behavior, but no other results."
Speech by the Honorable Lee
H. Hamilton
April 15, 1998
"I believe we need to begin a policy of engagement with Iran. It will
not be easy, and it will take time to produce results, but I am persuaded
that such a policy serves the American national interest far better
than our current posture of containment and isolation."
Speech by Archie Dunham, President
and CEO, Conoco Inc.
March 31, 1998, Houston, Texas
"This morning I want to share my perspective on the sanctions issue:
where we've come from, where we are today, and where I think we need
to get to in the future."
Remarks by Stuart E. Eizenstat
January 7, 1998, Washington, DC
"Today I will discuss two timely and important topics: best business
principles and the use of sanctions. While these two subjects appear
to be separate, they can be very important instruments in helping us
achieve our foreign policy objectives."
Do Economic Sanctions Work?, Remarks
by Richard Haass
December 3, 1997, A Brookings Discussion
"The question we set for ourselves this morning was, Do economic sanctions
work? Even though we set it and even though I am sitting here, it's
actually the wrong question. And the reason is that economic sanctions
either work or they don't depending upon the task you've set for them."
Speech by Stefan van Wersch, First
Secretary, Netherlands Embassy
April 25, 1997, US-Iran Conference
"It is also a challenge to explain EU policy towards Iran in the USA
and indeed it bears a certain ressemblance to a mission under chapter
VII of the UN Charter, i.e. operating in a not really permissive environment:
one tends to encounter strong, negative feelings in the US on the EU
policy towards Iran."
Statement by Stuart
E. Eizenstat, Commerce Under Secretary, Special Representative of
the President and the Secretary of State for the Promotion of Democracy
in Cuba
April 11, 1997, U.S. -- EU Negotiations on the Libertad Act
"I am pleased to announce today that the United States and the European
Commission have reached an understanding, which the Commission will
submit to the Member States, that the two sides will work cooperatively
to develop binding disciplines on acquisitions and dealings in property
confiscated by Cuba and other governments in contravention of international
law."
Remarks by Archie W. Dunham, President
and CEO, Conoco
February 11, 1997, CERA's 16th Annual Executive Conference
"..[H]istory shows that political obstacles generally crumble under
the weight of economic forces. That's not surprising, because the positive
impact of international trade and investment on improving people's lives
has become clear beyond any doubt. The energy industry is at the forefront
of this progress. Let me give just a few examples involving my own company."
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