But the suggestion that the sanctions failed to achieve their aim is not fully convincing.

Instead, it should come only after lesser sanctions have failed.

He came closer than ever to saying military force could be used if economic sanctions fail.

But economic sanctions have failed to restrain Chinese arms merchants in the past.

These sanctions have failed, in part because it is easy for other nations to buy illegal diamonds and resell them.

But sanctions may fail, and military options seem bleak at best.

American attempts to add new sanctions also failed, however, and that seems to have been seen as a green light in Baghdad.

But so far, the sanctions have failed to dislodge him from his commanding position at the head of Panama's armed forces.

The group stated that when diplomacy or sanctions fail, the United States must be prepared to take military action.

However, overall the sanctions failed and (indirectly) led to an unprecedented improvement in agriculture.