OPINION: Jeffrey Sachs: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Manufactured Chaos in the Middle East
Renowned economist and UN advisor Jeffrey Sachs has issued a damning indictment of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, directly attributing the region’s prolonged instability and violence to Washington’s alliance with Israel’s far-right leadership and decades of interventionist strategy.
Speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, Sachs minced no words. He argued that far from promoting peace or democracy, the United States—backed by Israeli strategic interests—has systematically undermined the sovereignty of Middle Eastern nations through covert operations, regime change agendas, and military support for proxy forces. Central to his critique was the CIA-led initiative Operation Timber Sycamore, which Sachs described not as a conspiracy theory but a real, documented conspiracy to destabilize Syria.
“Go look it up,” he urged. “Operation Timber Sycamore, backed by billions in arms and intelligence, fuelled a proxy war that has left over 600,000 Syrians dead and millions displaced. That was a war of choice, not necessity.”
Sachs asserts the 2011 Syrian conflict didn’t emerge from grassroots protests alone—it began with a presidential order from Barack Obama, driven by a longstanding Israeli goal to topple Bashar al-Assad and reshape the Middle East in Israel’s image.
Empire by Design: A Century of Outside Meddling
Sachs reminded listeners that the Middle East has suffered external manipulation for over a century—first by Britain and France after the Versailles Treaty, and now by the United States. He warned that U.S. foreign policy doesn’t support regional agency—it crushes it.
“Empires divide to rule,” he said. “And the CIA is not here to promote peace. It’s here to ensure America and Israel retain power.”
Countries like Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan, he argued, have been victims of engineered conflicts under the guise of democracy and freedom. Sachs pointed to General Wesley Clark’s 2001 revelation—a Pentagon plan for seven wars in five years—as the playbook being followed.
A Peace That Was Blocked
In 2012, Sachs revealed, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan negotiated a peace agreement for Syria. All major powers agreed—except one: the United States. The Obama administration refused any agreement that left Assad in power, even temporarily. Annan resigned, and over 500,000 more lives were lost.
“That decision was not diplomacy—it was a crime,” Sachs declared.
Israel’s Role and U.S. Complicity
Sachs argues Israel couldn’t wage these wars alone. It depends entirely on U.S. backing—financial, military, intelligence, and diplomatic.
“The genocide in Gaza is not just politically supported by the U.S.—it is operationally enabled. Daily. Actively.”
He accused Netanyahu of relentlessly pushing for a war with Iran and controlling American foreign policy to ensure Israel’s territorial expansion across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria.
“These are not Israel’s wars. They are American wars fought for Israeli objectives,” Sachs said.
A Path to Real Peace
Sachs concluded that peace in the Middle East will only come when imperial powers like the U.S. step back, and the region is allowed to determine its own future.
“Palestine’s admission as the 194th UN member could be the start. But as long as Israel holds veto power through Washington, the bloodshed will continue.”
He added, “There is no true ‘international community’ yet—only interests, regimes, and military operations. But it’s time we build one.”
By Melino Maka
