SUMMARY

BY Jeffrey D. Sachs| The Daily Star

It is time for the United States and other powers to let the Middle East govern itself in line with national sovereignty and the United Nations Charter. As the U.S. contemplates yet another round of military action in Iraq and intervention in Syria, it should recognize two basic truths.

First, U.S. interventions, which have cost the country trillions of dollars and thousands of lives over the past decade, have consistently destabilized the Middle East, while causing massive suffering in the affected countries.

With America’s subsequent emergence as a global power, it treated the Middle East in the same way, relentlessly installing, toppling, bribing or manipulating the region’s governments, all the while mouthing democratic rhetoric.

The U.S. cannot stop the spiral of violence in the Middle East.

I am not claiming that all will be well if the U.S. and other powers pull back.

But lasting solutions will not be found as long as the U.S. and other foreign powers continue to meddle in the region.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/Opinion/Commentary/2014/Sep-10/270134-allow-the-middle-east-to-govern-itself.ashx#ixzz3CtjWpBjv
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