Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi described President Donald Trump as having a “true understanding” of terrorism in the Middle East, adding that the region is “paying the price” for mistakes made under the Obama administration.
During an interview with FOX News this week, Sisi said that the new administration has a “true understanding of realities in the region,” adding that there is “seriousness and responsible actions in facing extremism and terrorism in the region.”
In an overt dig against the foreign policy of the Obama administration, Sisi said that “many things over the last four years occurred and caused many, many problems.”
Sisi’s comments follow his meeting with Donald Trump earlier this week, where he pledged his full support for Trump’s plans to combat Islamic terrorism, describing it as a “satanic ideology.”
“I’ve had a deep appreciation and admiration of your unique personality, especially as you are standing very strong in the counter-terrorism field, to counter this satanic ideology that is claiming innocent lives, that is bringing devastation to communities and nations, and that is terrorizing innocent people,” Sisi said after the meeting.
Meanwhile, Trump praised Sisi for a successful meeting, claiming the pair had “good chemistry” and calling him a “fantastic guy,” adding that he would like to “reboot” the relationship between America and Egypt.
The warm exchanges represent a stark change in tone compared to American-Egyptian relations under Barack Obama, who froze military assistance to Egypt in October 2013 over reported human rights abuses, before restoring the assistance in 2015 for reasons of national security.
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