US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump vowed to work with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, among a number of other leaders, to “halt the spread of radical Islam”.
Trump delivered a speech on Monday, entitled “Understanding The Threat: Radical Islam And The Age Of Terror”, in which he outlined his plan on immigration and terrorism.
He said that if he becomes president the era of nation-building will be ended and that all actions would be oriented around the goal of halting the spread of radical Islam.
Trump said that his administration will “aggressively pursue joint and coalition military operations to crush and destroy ISIS”.
The militant group, which seeks to establish a caliphate across the Middle East and beyond and has already conquered territory in Iraq and Syria, has claimed deadly attacks over the past year on civilians in a number of countries, including Belgium and the United States.
Trump also acknowledged the need for international cooperation in achieving the goal of combating radical Islam, saying that any country, which shares this goal, would be considered an ally of the US.
The Republican candidate pledged to partner with Sisi, King Abdullah of Jordan and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin as well as Israel to fight against radical Islamists.
“As President, I will call for an international conference focused on this goal. We will work side-by-side with our friends in the Middle East, including our greatest ally, Israel,” Trump said.
“We will partner with King Abdullah of Jordan, and President Sisi of Egypt, and all others who recognize this ideology of death that must be extinguished,” he added.
The presidential nominee also revealed that if he becomes president his administration would focus on opposing “oppression of women, gays and people of different faith”.
“Our administration will be a friend to all moderate Muslim reformers in the Middle East, and will amplify their voices,” he added.
Trump's statements come amid a crackdown on Egypt's gay community, which saw scores of people arrested and handed prison sentences. And while there is no law in Egypt specifically banning homosexual acts, gays are imprisoned on charges of “inciting to and facilitating debauchery, habitual debauchery”.
