U.S. President called on Middle East to combat a Islamic extremism

U.S. President Donald Trump called on Middle Eastern leaders to combat a “crisis of Islamic extremism” emanating from the region, casting the fight against terrorism as a “battle between good and evil”, not a clash between the West and Islam.
Mr. Trump’s address was the centerpiece of his two-day visit to Saudi Arabia, his first stop overseas as President.
During a meeting of more than 50 Arab and Muslim leaders, he sought to chart a new course for America’s role in the region, one aimed squarely on rooting out terrorism, with less focus on promoting human rights and democratic reforms.
Even as the President pledged to work alongside Middle Eastern nations, he put the onus for combating terrorism on the region.
Bellowing into the microphone, he implored Muslim leaders to aggressively fight extremists — “Drive them out of your places of worship. Drive them out of your communities.”
Sitting alongside Mr. Trump, Saudi King Salman declared: “The Iranian regime has been the spearhead of global terrorism.”
Mr. Trump’s welcome in the region was also put on display during a series of individual meetings with Arab leaders.
Reinforcing his theme of U.S. economic deals, the U.S. President told Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani they would discuss “lots of beautiful military equipment because nobody makes it like the United States”.
For Mr. Trump the visit has been a welcome escape from the crush of controversies that have consumed his administration in recent weeks.
The President’s trip to Saudi Arabia also served as something of a reset with the region following his presidential campaign, which was frequently punctured by bouts of anti-Islamic rhetoric. He once mused that he thought “Islam hates us”.
That ban was blocked by the courts. A second order, which dropped Iraq from the list, is tied up in federal court and the federal government is appealing.
That speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticized by a number of the United States’ Middle East allies as being a sort of apology.