Economic sanctions that harm civilian populations can cause more deaths and casualties than some wars and are illegal under international laws and treaties which the US has signed.

This session will explore the use of sanctions as a form of warfare that heavily targets the civilian population, and their economic and human cost. Professor Linda Bilmes will provide context for the United States government’s failure to properly quantify the costs of conflicts in the past, as well as how such measurement can take place in the future. Professor Sachs and Dr. Weisbrot will focus on the sanctions in Iran and Venezuela, their impact, rationale, legality, and alternatives.