We strongly support President Al-Sisi’s steps for ensuring religious freedoms: Pompeo

Mohammed El-Said
2 Min Read

The US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday that the USA supports Egypt’s efforts to fight terrorism in Sinai, and Israel’s efforts against terrorism.

During his speech at the American University in Cairo, Pompeo added that America has always been a liberating force in the Middle East, and “when America retreats, chaos follows.”

“We strongly support President Al-Sisi’s steps for ensuring religious freedoms,” Pompeo said. He added that the US administration is working on having strategic economic relations with countries such as Egypt and Jordan.

“Now it is the real beginning for the US to act as a force of ‘good’ in the region,” adding, “Under the new administration, the US faced the reality of Islamic extremism, Al-Sisi supported us in these efforts, and I applaud him for this.”

Pompeo noted that the US President Donald Trump is willing to take action in Syria, “but hopes we do not have to,” adding that the US will withdraw its troops from Syria when the battle against ISIS is finished.

Furthermore, he stressed the essence of the commitment to fight all forms of radical Islamists, saying that “America will continue to confront the ugly reality of radical Islamist terrorism.” The Trump Administration is calling on its allies and partners to do more to confront this shared threat, Pompeo also noted.

The US Secretary of State finally stated, “Our desire for peace at any cost led us to strike a deal with our enemy Iran,” adding, “We must confront the ‘Ayatollahs’, not cuddle them, Egypt, Oman, Kuwait,  and Jordan were essential in ensuring that the sanctions against Iran are effective.”

Share This Article
Mohammed El-Said is the Science Editor for the Daily News Egypt with over 8 years of experience as a journalist. His work appeared in the Science Magazine, Nature Middle East, Scientific American Arabic Edition, SciDev and other regional and international media outlets. El-Said graduated with a bachelor's degree and MSc in Human Geography, and he is a PhD candidate in Human Geography at Cairo University. He also had a diploma in media translation from the American University in Cairo.
Leave a comment