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In the case of the late Idi Amin, they clearly helped drive him from power.
American policymakers frequently consider economic sanctions as a means of expressing disapproval of another regime or as a way of undermining that regime. Debates center around the efficacy of boycotts, especially if these are imposed unilaterally.
Idi Amin's death in August provides an opportunity to examine a case in which American sanctions contributed to bringing down his brutal regime as Uganda's dictator (1971-79).
While other governments have been ruled by terror, Amin's Uganda was almost in a category of its own. He attracted world attention by citing Adolf Hitler as his role model. His actions led to the deaths of approximately 300,000 people and the torture and economic deprivation of countless more.
During the first years of Amin's rule, American presidents and Congress did little more than denounce Amin and the flagrant human rights violations in Uganda.
The Congressional approach changed in 1977 when Representative Donald J. Pease (D-OH) determined to focus on Uganda. Pease, a freshman who had never set foot in Africa,...