Now that Syria is ruled by men whom the U.S. State Department long designated as terrorists, that State Department has not only lifted sanctions on Syria, but admitted that the sanctions' function was to punish the people of Syria (a gross violation of the Geneva Conventions and out of step with the usual pretense that sanctions just harm governments). Waivers of sanctions, wrote Secretary of State Marco Rubio, "will facilitate the provision of electricity, energy, water, and sanitation, and enable a more effective humanitarian response across Syria." One of dozens of other nations sanctioned by the U.S. government is Iran, whose government, like many governments, notoriously exhibits a frequent lack of concern for its people. The Iranian government claims it can survive ongoing sanctions. It probably can. Hostile, hardline governments have been empowered and strengthened by U.S. sanctions in Iran and elsewhere. But the people of Iran are another story. They are impoverished and endangered by the sanctions. Click here to tell the U.S. Congress to halt the sanctions now. | |