Several countries have begun to trade in currencies other than the dollar as the US-led West continues to use punitive sanctions as a foreign policy tool — sanctions designed to throttle trade, strangle fund transfers through the Western controlled SWIFT payment system and freeze assets — physical and liquid assets. This trend has gathered considerable momentum after the US-led West imposed sanctions against powerful countries like Russia and China leading to their decision to strengthen an available forum, Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS), with its expanding membership (including Iran) which President ... (full story)