Ending America’s Endless War: Foreign Affairs

Senator Bernie Sanders, a 2020 Democratic candidate for the US presidential election, has long opposed US intervention in the Middle East, starting with his vote against the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In an essay for Foreign Affairs, he outlines the history of Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and warns of consequences far more severe in a potential war with Iran. Syria, Iraq, Israel and the Persian Gulf area could be subjected to attacks, with costly destabilization of the region. The so-called global war on terror began in 2001. US troops remain in Afghanistan 18 years later. Despite costs totaling more than $4.9 trillion by the end of this fiscal year, terror has not subsided, suggests the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Instead, the number of Sunni Islamic militants increased fourfold since the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Sanders argues that “endless war” is a costly distraction, opening opportunity for China and Russia’s foreign policy agendas, drawing away attention from economic corruption by the world’s top 1 percent and translating into xenophobia. Sanders opposes war with Iran and insists, “We must stop giving terrorists exactly what they want.”– YaleGlobal