American, British and French officials have emphasized that any strike on Syria will be punitive, short-term and not aimed directly, at least, to oust Mr. Assad.
"A credit downgrade will be punitive as far as their borrowing power," said Joe Correnti, who follows Enron for Wayne Hummer Investments in Chicago.
Obama needs "to find the right target set that will be punitive and that will have a strong deterrent impact on Assad's potential future use of chemical weapons," said Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank), who sits on the House Intelligence Committee.
But under American sanctions law, it will be subject to punitive measures at the end of June, unless it shows a "significant reduction" in its imports from Iran or wins a waiver from Mr. Obama on national security grounds.
But if this effort fails, it will be time to try a more punitive approach.
The Department is also reviewing the courts charge and is expected to announce that it will be reformed to make it less arbitrary and punitive later this year.
If detention is for a legitimate non-punitive and essentially administrative purpose, it will be valid.
Will it be merciful or righteous, or will it be punitive?" But contemporary legal dramas go beyond using law merely as an arena for dramatic conflict.
The inspections will not be punitive, but will provide a "periodic opportunity for general officers and flag officers to understand whether, from an institutional perspective, we think they are inside or outside the white lines," he said.
Or will they be punitive and costly like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act? Washington's new powers over banks may make our capital markets more hostile to entrepreneurs savings bonds won't give you high returns, but they will protect you from political fallout.
"It was clear it would be punitive".
