India ‘victim of terrorism’, says Trump in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), May 22

US President Donald Trump, during his speech at the Arab-Islamic-US summit, acknowledged that India was a “victim of terrorism” and asked countries to ensure that terror groups don’t find sanctuaries on their soil.

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The President further pledged to work alongside the West Asian nations to combat extremist ideology in the region as all the countries — from the US to India and Australia to Russia — have been “victim of terrorism and have suffered repeated barbaric attacks.”

Without naming Pakistan, Trump said “every country must ensure that terrorists don’t find any sanctuary on their lands.” While addressing the leaders of 50 Muslim-majority countries on Sunday afternoon in his first speech on a foreign soil, Trump called on the Middle-eastern countries to combat the crisis of Islamic extremism emanating from the region.

Terming the fight against terrorism as a “battle between good and evil,” and not a clash between “the West and Islam,” Trump sought to chart a new course for America’s role in the region, aimed at rooting out terrorism.

“This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects, or different civilisations,” Trump said.

“This is a battle between barbaric criminals who seek to obliterate human life, and decent people of all religions who seek to protect it. This is a battle between good and evil,” he added.

Trump added that Muslim leaders must do more to confront extremism.

“The nations of the Middle East cannot wait for American power to crush this enemy for them. The nations of the Middle East will have to decide what kind of future they want for themselves, for their countries and for their children,” he said. — ANI