Trump administration targets violent Islamist groups as foreign policy priority

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration will make defeating “radical Islamic terror groups” its top foreign policy goal, according to a statement posted on the White House website moments after Mr Donald Trump's inauguration as United States president.

Mr Trump used his inaugural address on Friday (Jan 20) to promise to “unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth”.

In the White House statement titled “America First Foreign Policy”, the Trump administration said that “defeating ISIS and other radical Islamic terror groups will be our highest priority.” ISIS is an acronym for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

To “defeat and destroy” Islamic State and similar groups, the new administration will pursue aggressive joint and coalition military operations when necessary, work to cut off funding for terrorist groups, expand intelligence sharing, and use cyber warfare to disrupt propaganda and recruitment efforts. The statement offered no indication of how Mr Trump’s policies might differ from those of his predecessor, Democrat Barack Obama.

The Obama administration also pursued those broadly described strategies: working with European and Middle Eastern allies in a bombing campaign targeting Islamic State leaders and their oil infrastructure, authorising US special forces operations against the group, and using sanctions and other methods to cut off its financing.

Mr Trump's speech and the statement echoed his campaign criticism of Mr Obama and his Democratic rival, Mrs Hillary Clinton, for not using the phrase “radical Islamic terror” to describe Islamic State and other hardline jihadist groups.

Mr Obama argued that using the term would conflate “murderers” with “the billion Muslims that exist around the world, including in this country, who are peaceful”. Mrs Clinton said using the phrase would play into the hands of militants who want to portray America as at war with Islam.

The White House statement also appeared to nod at better relations with Russia, something that Mr Trump has said he would pursue. “We are always happy when old enemies become friends, and when old friends become allies,” the statement said.

Mr Trump has rejected criticism that he is too eager to make an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The statement also vowed to “rebuild” the American military, including enlarging the navy and the air force, a frequent theme during Mr Trump’s electoral campaign.

“We will provide our military leaders with the means to plan for our future defense needs,” the White House said. “We cannot allow other nations to surpass our military capability.”

In a separate statement on the White House website, the Trump administration said it intends to develop a “state of the art” missile defense system to protect against attacks from Iran and North Korea. It did not say whether the system would differ from those already under development, specify the cost or say how it would be financed. AGENCIES