Sen. Bernie Sanders has called on more Middle East countries to become actively involved in the U.S.-led fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
“This is not just an American problem. This is an international crisis,” the liberal Vermont independent told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“This is a regional crisis, and I think the people of America are getting sick and tired of the world and the region, Saudi Arabia and the other countries, saying, ‘hey, we don’t have to do anything about it.’ ”
Sanders noted Saudi Arabia is the world’s fourth-largest defense spender, yet he suggested the country hasn’t done enough to help defeat Islamic State militants.
“The question that we have got to ask is, why are the nations in the region not more actively involved?” he said. “Why don’t they see this as a crisis situation?”
The senator added that if Arab countries don’t become actively involved in the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, the Muslim world will wrongly view U.S. efforts in the region as a war against Islam.
“If the Middle East people perceive this is the United States versus ISIS, the West versus East, Christianity versus Islam, we’re going to lose that war,” he said. “This is a war for the soul of Islam, and the Muslim nations must be deeply involved.
“It cannot and should not be the United States alone.”
