Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said other countries aren't more deeply involved in fighting against ISIS because they believe America will take care of it.
Speaking with Candy Crowley on CNN's State of the Union Sunday, Sanders, an independent who usually votes with Democrats, said the signal being sent by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and others urging an expanded U.S. war effort tells the international community to relax while America steps in. Sanders argues that it is an international problem and should be addressed as such:
It's a problem for the international community and you asked me a moment ago why aren't other countries more deeply involved. I will tell you why; because they believe that the American taxpayers are going to do it and American soldiers ultimately will do it. As long as that signal is out there, that is what's going to happen.
Sanders called out specific nations to play a more active part in this crisis so that the U.S. isn't the only one playing the strong role:
I want the Saudi Arabian government to be actively involved. I want their troops to be on the ground. I don't want them to believe that we're going to do it for them. So, yes, I think we have to play a very strong and supportive role with the U.K., with France, with Canada, with other countries. It can not and should not be the United States alone.
"If the Middle East perceive this is the United States versus ISIS, the West versus East, Christianity versus Islam, we’re going to lose that war," Sanders told Crowley. "This is a war for the soul of Islam, and the Muslim nations must be deeply involved."
Sanders said it is very easy to criticize President Obama for his no-strategy strategy but left stronger words for the previous administration:
It is very easy to criticize the president, but this is an enormously complicated issue. We are here today because of the disastrous blunder of the Bush/Cheney era, which got us into this war in Iraq in the first place, which then developed the can of worms that we're trying to deal with right now.
