Sanctions against Libya : a critical analysis

Abstract

The purpose of this study is that of judging the impact and the effectiveness of the sanctions imposed against Libya, in order to gauge whether the punitive measures implemented against the country did effectively achieve their intended aims. When analysing Libya and Libyan politics, it becomes evident that the natural resources and the excellent geostrategic location of the country have played an important role in shaping the evolution of the nation. Such factors went on to attract a lot of foreign attention throughout the years but more importantly, they aided Gadhafi in pursuing his ideals and policies at both national and international levels. Consequentially, the Libyan leader together with his variegated political agenda went on to play a crucial role in the progression of both Mediterranean inter-state relations and international relations on a quasi world wide basis. When judging the effectiveness of sanctions, and the impact which these measures had upon the Libyan state, it emerges that the range of punitive policies did to a certain extent impact upon the country; but on the other hand their effectiveness appears questionable. This is mainly due to the form and function of the sanctions applied, and also the goals envisioned by the sending states and organizations. In contrast to the aim of the measures, Gadhafi managed to utilise the sanctions so as to generate his citizen's support, to mobilize international support, and hence further strengthen his position as the leader of Libya. This emerges when judging both the unilateral sanction regimes and also the multilateral ones too. When judging the unliteral measures, it is evident that the American sanctions did not succeeded in fulfilling the main goal of overthrowing Qadhafi, and henceforth these measures can be judged as unsuccessful. Whereas, when judging the multilateral sanctions imposed by the U.N. a different conclusion is encountered. This because if one looks at the sanctions imposed against Libya in relation to the goal of ending Libyan support for terrorism, the measures will be judged as successful; but on the other hand if one defines the goal of the measures as being that of resolving the Lockerbie dispute, an utter failure will be noted. Additionally, if the hidden agenda of the measures was that of overthrowing Gadhafi, once again a failure is encountered, as the Libyan leader remained in power and his dominant position was further strengthened. Therefore, in order to best understand the various components related to the impact and the effectiveness of the sanctions, outlining the historic evolution of the country and explaining how sanction works became imperatives work becomes imperative. Ultimately addressing how the issue was resolved is also important as in this case such a step serves as a bench mark for assessing the effectiveness of the sanctions in achieving their intended aim.