President Donald Trump will use his first visit to the Middle East to call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a \u00ab\u00a0battle between good and…<\/b>
\nWASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump will use his first visit to the Middle East to call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a \u00ab\u00a0battle between good and evil\u00a0\u00bb and urging Arab leaders to \u00ab\u00a0drive out the terrorists from your places of worship, \u00a0\u00bb according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press. Abandoning some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric of his presidential campaign, the draft of the speech, slated to be delivered in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, envisions new partnerships with America’s traditional allies in the Middle East. It notably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights – topics Arab leaders often view as U. S. moralizing – in favor of the more limited goals of peace and stability. \u00ab\u00a0We are not here to lecture – to tell other peoples how to live, what to do or who to be. We are here instead to offer partnership in building a better future for us all, \u00a0\u00bb the document said. Trump left Washington Friday afternoon for Riyadh, the first stop on his maiden trip overseas trip as president. The marathon trip will also take him to Israel, the Vatican, Belgium and Italy. The trip is a key test of the president’s diplomatic skills and a chance to add substance to a foreign policy he has described broadly as \u00ab\u00a0America First.\u00a0\u00bb Two different sources provided the AP with copies of the draft of his remarks, billed as a marquee speech of the trip. One version, obtained late Thursday, included edits with comments from an administration official, indicating it was still a work in progress. The White House confirmed the draft was authentic, but cautioned the president had not yet signed off on the final product. \u00ab\u00a0The president has not seen this draft, \u00a0\u00bb White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. \u00ab\u00a0This is one of five drafts that have been written by various people. He continues to take input and is writing a final version.\u00a0\u00bb Trump’s campaign was marked by his anti-Islamic rhetoric and his administration has twice tried to impose a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries. \u00ab\u00a0I think Islam hates us, \u00a0\u00bb he said at one point. The draft of the speech includes no mention of \u00ab\u00a0radical Islamic terrorism\u00a0\u00bb – a phrase that candidate Trump regularly criticized opponent Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama for shying away from. His speech calls terrorism a widespread problem plaguing everyone who loves peace. He positions himself as an \u00ab\u00a0emissary for the American people, to deliver a message of friendship and hope, \u00a0\u00bb according to the draft. \u00ab\u00a0This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations. This is a battle between those who seek to obliterate human life and those who seek to protect it, \u00a0\u00bb the text reads. \u00ab\u00a0This is a battle between good and evil.\u00a0\u00bb Trump may seem an unlikely messenger to deliver an olive branch to the Muslim world. Only a week after taking office, he signed an executive order to ban immigrants from seven countries – Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen – from entering the United States, a decision that sparked widespread protests at the nation’s airports and demonstrations outside the White House. That ban was blocked in federal court, prompting the administration to sign a second one. The second version, which dropped Iraq from the list, is also blocked in court, though Trump has said the measure is needed for the nation’s security. As a campaigner, he called for a \u00ab\u00a0total and complete shutdown\u00a0\u00bb of the entry of Muslims to the United States \u00ab\u00a0until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on, \u00a0\u00bb insisting that a sizable segment of the Muslim population has \u00ab\u00a0great hatred toward Americans.\u00a0\u00bb His Saudi speech is aimed at the nations represented at an Arab and Muslim leaders’ summit. Trump intends to condemn Syria’s President Bashar Assad for committing \u00ab\u00a0unspeakable crimes against humanity\u00a0\u00bb and Iran for contributing to spiraling violence in Syria. \u00ab\u00a0All nations of conscience in the Middle East must work together to roll back Iran’s destabilizing influence, restore a more stable balance of power in the region, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and responsible government they deserve, \u00a0\u00bb the draft reads. Iran and Syria were not invited to the summit, and they are not part of a regional military alliance that Saudi Arabia is establishing to fight terrorism. The kingdom backs efforts to topple the Syrian government, which counts Iran and Russia as its closest allies. White House officials have said they consider Trump’s visit, and his keynote address, a counterweight to President Obama’s debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo. Obama called for understanding and acknowledged some of America’s missteps in the region. That speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticized by a number of the United States’ Middle East allies, including Israel, as being a sort of apology. Obama aides have continued to defend it. Administration officials believe Trump’s decision to begin his trip in Saudi Arabia sends a powerful message to the kingdom: the strained ties that marked U. S.-Saudi relations under Obama are over. Unlike the Obama administration, which distanced itself from authoritarian leaders and took a moral stance against the human rights violations that in many cases fueled resentment and extremism, Trump is focusing on deal-making. Only in the case of Iran does his speech advocate for the \u00ab\u00a0longest-suffering\u00a0\u00bb people who are subject \u00ab\u00a0to their leaders’ reckless attempts to dominate their neighbors.\u00a0\u00bb By contrast, Trump hails America’s friendship with Saudi Arabia, which \u00ab\u00a0stretches back many decades, and covers numerous dimensions.\u00a0\u00bb It is a markedly different message from his campaign tweet that said \u00ab\u00a0Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays.\u00a0\u00bb ___ Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed reporting. ___ Follow Lemire on Twitter at @JonLemire Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n

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