FX.co ★ Sanders wants new NATO with Russia

Bernie Sanders, the Democratic presidential contender, has advanced another unconventional idea that the US should put together a new international organization, similar to NATO but including Russia and Arab League countries, with a mission of defeating extremists. He also believes that such steps are necessary to start a new initiative against ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

“We must create an organization like NATO to confront the security threats of the 21st century — an organization that emphasizes cooperation and collaboration to defeat the rise of violent extremism and importantly, to address the root causes underlying these brutal acts,” Sanders said in a speech at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.

“A new and strong coalition of Western powers, Muslim nations, and countries like Russia must come together in a strongly coordinated way to combat ISIS,” Sanders said.

NATO was started in the early days of the Cold War and grew to become a major bulwark against the then-Soviet Union. Thus, a new organization including Russia could change relations between two countries and unite enemies in the fight against ISIS.

Nevertheless, Sanders said that the war with the terror organization, which released videos that threatened attacks in Washington and New York, “must be done primarily by Muslim nations with the strong support of their global partners.”