George Lopez | University of Notre Dame (original) (raw)

Papers by George Lopez

Maryland Journal of International Law, 1985

Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, 2009

Maryland Journal of International Law, 1985

International Studies Quarterly, 1991

Dame. His research on gross violations of human rights and government repression has appeared in ... more Dame. His research on gross violations of human rights and government repression has appeared in a number of publications including Chitty's Law Journal and Human Rights Quarterly. In addition he has been coeditor and contributor in such volumes as Government Violence and Repression: An Agenda for Research (Greenwood, 1986) and Testing Theories of Government Violence and Repression (Westview, 1989).

The Politics of Terrorism, 2020

Harvard International Review, Sep 22, 2007

As a means for responding to a wide array of national security concerns and violations of interna... more As a means for responding to a wide array of national security concerns and violations of international norms, economic sanctions have occupied an increasingly prominent place in the tool kit of US policymakers. Ever since the United States championed UN Security Council Resolution 661 to expel Iraq from Kuwait in August 1990, it has imposed sanctions to restore democratically elected governments, protect human rights, extradite international fugitives, and end inter-state and civil wars. Especially after the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has employed more specialized smart sanctions, both on its own and in conjunction with the UN Security Council, to combat what many claim to be the most serious contemporary threat to US and global security--the spread of international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Although practitioners and politicians continue to resort to sanctions to punish wrongdoers, critical assessments of sanctions continue to be quite mixed. Some lament the limited success rate of sanctions, which most analysts consider to be 33 percent or lower. Others worry that Congressional trade and aid restrictions combine with UN-mandated sanctions to create a sanctions "epidemic" in US foreign and economic policy. And yet, sanctions techniques have become increasingly effective. This trend can be attributed to a number of mutually reinforcing realities. First, policymakers from the United States and the international community now recognize those factors in sanctions formulation and implementation that lead to success. Second, the development of sharpened sanctions techniques--so-called "smart sanctions"--has replaced comprehensive trade sanctions. These provide states and international organizations with greater versatility of coercive economic measures while limiting the unanticipated humanitarian damage that sanctions can bring. Third, the success of sanctions necessitates astute consideration and management of the complex, symbiotic relationship that has emerged between the United States and the UN Security Council. This demands a coordinated strategy that balances sanctions and incentives as complementary tools designed to pressure and encourage delinquent states into changing their behavior. Designing Successful Sanctions The dozens of sanctions cases implemented since 1990 resulted in an impression of the international community as having a good idea of how to guarantee the success of a given sanction. Four considerations are particularly instructive for designing effective policies. First, in this age of globalization, unilateral sanctions seldom succeed--multilateral support and cooperation are essential to the success of sanctions. In fact, when international (United Nations), regional (such as the European Union), and national authorities coordinate their actions to effectively monitor and enforce sanctions, target compliance increases significantly. Second, sanctions as a means of punishment and isolation rarely succeed. Indeed, sanctions form only half of the mix of mechanisms needed to alter the behavior of stubborn targets. Positive inducements--the proverbial carrots of international economic and political relations--are a necessary complement to the sticks of a sanctions strategy. This is especially true in complex cases such as the control of weapons proliferation. Third, sanctions succeed when they are a component of a larger foreign or international policy with multiple tools that collectively serve a specified end. When sanctions are the policy or are maintained for so long that they, de facto, become the policy, then they are no longer effective. This was the trap that the United States and United Nations fell into with sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s. Finally, the structure of sanctions must be clear and credible. …

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 2000

The Handbook on the Political Economy of War

Strategies of Peace, 2010

Journal of Peace Research, 1985

Page 1. http://jpr.sagepub.com/ Journal of Peace Research http://jpr.sagepub.com/ content/22/2/11... more Page 1. http://jpr.sagepub.com/ Journal of Peace Research http://jpr.sagepub.com/ content/22/2/117 The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/002234338502200203 1985 22: 117 Journal of Peace Research ...

Human Rights Quarterly, 1986

Over the last decade, human rights have received much scholarly attention. A careful examination ... more Over the last decade, human rights have received much scholarly attention. A careful examination of the literature reveals three quite distinct ap-proaches to the consideration of human rights. The first argues that human rights is a legitimate, if not critical, social science ...

Ethics & International Affairs, 2002

It is curious to note the evolution of discussions about the moral and legal rules that apply in ... more It is curious to note the evolution of discussions about the moral and legal rules that apply in the fight against terrorism. Immediately after September 11, when it was clear that the United States was going to focus its new war within Afghanistan, the first question that arose was how the United States was going to assess the deaths of Afghan civilians as collateral damage . A second, major set of legal and ethical issues developed around the Bush administration's declaration that those captured in the war would face trial before military tribunals. And as the major campaigns of the war have come to a close, the celebrated issue has become the present and future legal status of the quite different fighters, supporters, and operatives of al-Qaeda and the former Taliban government who are in U. S .custody.

Ethics & International Affairs, 2012

In her recent article in this journal, Joy Gordon provides an astute history and critique of the ... more In her recent article in this journal, Joy Gordon provides an astute history and critique of the evolution and application of smart sanctions within the United Nations system since the mid-1990s. Her analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the discrete types of smart sanctions is part of a growing discussion among both academics and practitioners about the future and the utility of these measures. As always, her continued skepticism about the effectiveness and ethical dimensions of economic sanctions deserves serious consideration and evaluation. In particular, Gordon raises three central concerns: (1) smart sanctions are no more successful than traditional trade sanctions; (2) each type of targeted mechanism has serious flaws; and (3) targeted sanctions did not end the humanitarian damage or the related ethical dilemmas that are embedded into sanctions design and implementation.

Armed Forces & Society, 1985

... and the resolution of protracted conflicts. This collection of expert analyses and essays asse... more ... and the resolution of protracted conflicts. This collection of expert analyses and essays assembled by David Cortright and George Lopez provides a blueprint for moving forward. Page 10. Foreword ix Through historical cases ...

... Acknowledgments This volume had its beginnings in early 1995, in a series of discussions amon... more ... Acknowledgments This volume had its beginnings in early 1995, in a series of discussions among the staff of the Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, publisher of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and George Lopez, who serves on the maga-zine's editorial board. ...

Ethics & International Affairs, 1999

Joy Gordon has made a major contribution to both the ethical analysis and the policy evaluation o... more Joy Gordon has made a major contribution to both the ethical analysis and the policy evaluation of economic sanctions. But her claims against sanctions should be understood as critique rather than condemnation and rejection of sanctions on ethical grounds.Through a series of arguments and examples, this response points out that Gordon may be too narrow in defining sanctions' success, and that, where sanctions have gone awry, it is because they were unimaginatively formulated and poorly implemented, not because sanctions are categorically unethical. Multilateral sanctions in the late 1990s are simply more finely tuned than a few years ago. As a technique of coercive diplomacy, sanctions are meant to change dramatically the costs and benefits that leaders of a nation calculate operate in their favor as they pursue policies that the majority of the international community have declared abhorrent. We can, with the help of Gordon's critical claims, accomplish this goal in a more ...

Maryland Journal of International Law, 1985

Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, 2009

Maryland Journal of International Law, 1985

International Studies Quarterly, 1991

Dame. His research on gross violations of human rights and government repression has appeared in ... more Dame. His research on gross violations of human rights and government repression has appeared in a number of publications including Chitty's Law Journal and Human Rights Quarterly. In addition he has been coeditor and contributor in such volumes as Government Violence and Repression: An Agenda for Research (Greenwood, 1986) and Testing Theories of Government Violence and Repression (Westview, 1989).

The Politics of Terrorism, 2020

Harvard International Review, Sep 22, 2007

As a means for responding to a wide array of national security concerns and violations of interna... more As a means for responding to a wide array of national security concerns and violations of international norms, economic sanctions have occupied an increasingly prominent place in the tool kit of US policymakers. Ever since the United States championed UN Security Council Resolution 661 to expel Iraq from Kuwait in August 1990, it has imposed sanctions to restore democratically elected governments, protect human rights, extradite international fugitives, and end inter-state and civil wars. Especially after the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has employed more specialized smart sanctions, both on its own and in conjunction with the UN Security Council, to combat what many claim to be the most serious contemporary threat to US and global security--the spread of international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Although practitioners and politicians continue to resort to sanctions to punish wrongdoers, critical assessments of sanctions continue to be quite mixed. Some lament the limited success rate of sanctions, which most analysts consider to be 33 percent or lower. Others worry that Congressional trade and aid restrictions combine with UN-mandated sanctions to create a sanctions "epidemic" in US foreign and economic policy. And yet, sanctions techniques have become increasingly effective. This trend can be attributed to a number of mutually reinforcing realities. First, policymakers from the United States and the international community now recognize those factors in sanctions formulation and implementation that lead to success. Second, the development of sharpened sanctions techniques--so-called "smart sanctions"--has replaced comprehensive trade sanctions. These provide states and international organizations with greater versatility of coercive economic measures while limiting the unanticipated humanitarian damage that sanctions can bring. Third, the success of sanctions necessitates astute consideration and management of the complex, symbiotic relationship that has emerged between the United States and the UN Security Council. This demands a coordinated strategy that balances sanctions and incentives as complementary tools designed to pressure and encourage delinquent states into changing their behavior. Designing Successful Sanctions The dozens of sanctions cases implemented since 1990 resulted in an impression of the international community as having a good idea of how to guarantee the success of a given sanction. Four considerations are particularly instructive for designing effective policies. First, in this age of globalization, unilateral sanctions seldom succeed--multilateral support and cooperation are essential to the success of sanctions. In fact, when international (United Nations), regional (such as the European Union), and national authorities coordinate their actions to effectively monitor and enforce sanctions, target compliance increases significantly. Second, sanctions as a means of punishment and isolation rarely succeed. Indeed, sanctions form only half of the mix of mechanisms needed to alter the behavior of stubborn targets. Positive inducements--the proverbial carrots of international economic and political relations--are a necessary complement to the sticks of a sanctions strategy. This is especially true in complex cases such as the control of weapons proliferation. Third, sanctions succeed when they are a component of a larger foreign or international policy with multiple tools that collectively serve a specified end. When sanctions are the policy or are maintained for so long that they, de facto, become the policy, then they are no longer effective. This was the trap that the United States and United Nations fell into with sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s. Finally, the structure of sanctions must be clear and credible. …

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, 2000

The Handbook on the Political Economy of War

Strategies of Peace, 2010

Journal of Peace Research, 1985

Page 1. http://jpr.sagepub.com/ Journal of Peace Research http://jpr.sagepub.com/ content/22/2/11... more Page 1. http://jpr.sagepub.com/ Journal of Peace Research http://jpr.sagepub.com/ content/22/2/117 The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/002234338502200203 1985 22: 117 Journal of Peace Research ...

Human Rights Quarterly, 1986

Over the last decade, human rights have received much scholarly attention. A careful examination ... more Over the last decade, human rights have received much scholarly attention. A careful examination of the literature reveals three quite distinct ap-proaches to the consideration of human rights. The first argues that human rights is a legitimate, if not critical, social science ...

Ethics & International Affairs, 2002

It is curious to note the evolution of discussions about the moral and legal rules that apply in ... more It is curious to note the evolution of discussions about the moral and legal rules that apply in the fight against terrorism. Immediately after September 11, when it was clear that the United States was going to focus its new war within Afghanistan, the first question that arose was how the United States was going to assess the deaths of Afghan civilians as collateral damage . A second, major set of legal and ethical issues developed around the Bush administration's declaration that those captured in the war would face trial before military tribunals. And as the major campaigns of the war have come to a close, the celebrated issue has become the present and future legal status of the quite different fighters, supporters, and operatives of al-Qaeda and the former Taliban government who are in U. S .custody.

Ethics & International Affairs, 2012

In her recent article in this journal, Joy Gordon provides an astute history and critique of the ... more In her recent article in this journal, Joy Gordon provides an astute history and critique of the evolution and application of smart sanctions within the United Nations system since the mid-1990s. Her analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the discrete types of smart sanctions is part of a growing discussion among both academics and practitioners about the future and the utility of these measures. As always, her continued skepticism about the effectiveness and ethical dimensions of economic sanctions deserves serious consideration and evaluation. In particular, Gordon raises three central concerns: (1) smart sanctions are no more successful than traditional trade sanctions; (2) each type of targeted mechanism has serious flaws; and (3) targeted sanctions did not end the humanitarian damage or the related ethical dilemmas that are embedded into sanctions design and implementation.

Armed Forces & Society, 1985

... and the resolution of protracted conflicts. This collection of expert analyses and essays asse... more ... and the resolution of protracted conflicts. This collection of expert analyses and essays assembled by David Cortright and George Lopez provides a blueprint for moving forward. Page 10. Foreword ix Through historical cases ...

... Acknowledgments This volume had its beginnings in early 1995, in a series of discussions amon... more ... Acknowledgments This volume had its beginnings in early 1995, in a series of discussions among the staff of the Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, publisher of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and George Lopez, who serves on the maga-zine's editorial board. ...

Ethics & International Affairs, 1999

Joy Gordon has made a major contribution to both the ethical analysis and the policy evaluation o... more Joy Gordon has made a major contribution to both the ethical analysis and the policy evaluation of economic sanctions. But her claims against sanctions should be understood as critique rather than condemnation and rejection of sanctions on ethical grounds.Through a series of arguments and examples, this response points out that Gordon may be too narrow in defining sanctions' success, and that, where sanctions have gone awry, it is because they were unimaginatively formulated and poorly implemented, not because sanctions are categorically unethical. Multilateral sanctions in the late 1990s are simply more finely tuned than a few years ago. As a technique of coercive diplomacy, sanctions are meant to change dramatically the costs and benefits that leaders of a nation calculate operate in their favor as they pursue policies that the majority of the international community have declared abhorrent. We can, with the help of Gordon's critical claims, accomplish this goal in a more ...