Rep. Waxman supports a strong system of bilateral and multilateral sanctions to pressure Iran to end its pursuit of a nuclear program.

It's worth recalling that over the past 15 years we have seen Iran back down in the face of the threat of multilateral sanctions.

Instead, we have to lay down clear red lines that, if Iran chooses to cross them, would automatically set off pre-established multilateral sanctions.

And there is always the example of apartheid South Africa - the one instance where comprehensive, multilateral sanctions do appear to have succeeded in producing "regime change."

Beyond multilateral sanctions, the United States could work with countries where Sudanese officials have assets or hope to travel to impose penalties on them.

Administration officials said they favored a call for new elections in Peru using the threat of multilateral economic sanctions as leverage.

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright herself characterized them as "the toughest multilateral sanctions in history."

Cortright has written widely on nonviolent social change, nuclear disarmament, and the use of multilateral sanctions and incentives as tools of international diplomacy.

Nor have China's other trading partners been willing to join the United States in multilateral sanctions against the Chinese.

But even multilateral sanctions have a limited bite.