War on the Rocks: “What Are America’s Sanctions on Syria Good for?”

I have a new article at War on the Rocks today, this time on U.S. sanctions on Syria:

https://warontherocks.com/2020/09/what-are-americas-sanctions-on-syria-good-for/

Proponents of Syria sanctions tend to advocate for them in moralistic, hortatory terms: "To stop the Assad regime's atrocities, we have to try."

But U.S. sanctions on Syria won't "stop atrocities." No one seriously expects them to, or to accomplish any of their other stated aims. The supposed objective of these sanctions, then, is illusory and unreal. What is real is the sanctions' civilian collateral damage, as sanctions both exacerbate Syria's current economic desperation and frustrate the country's postwar recovery.

The result is that while U.S. policymakers and sanctions boosters posture and performatively "try," Syrian civilians pay the price. It's emblematic of Washington's tendency towards misconceived, "do something" policy. And it's nuts, and wrong.