The US needs to be honest about radical Islam as it poses a grave risk to the stability of nations and the well-being of their citizens, Rex Tillerson, the nominee for Secretary of State of the incoming Donald Trump administration told lawmakers today.
The most important step in thwarting radical Islam is defeating the Islamic State terror group, Tillerson told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee during his confirmation hearing.
"The most urgent step in thwarting radical Islam is defeating ISIS. The Middle East and its surrounding regions pose many challenges which require our attention, including Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan," Tillerson said.
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"There are competing priorities in this region which must be and will be addressed, but they must not distract from our utmost mission of defeating ISIS. Because when everything is a priority, nothing is a priority. Defeating ISIS must be our foremost priority in the Middle East," said the Exxon CEO who has been chosen by President-elect Trump as his top diplomat.
"The US needs to be honest about radical Islam. It is with good reason that our fellow citizens have a growing concern about radical Islam and murderous acts committed in its name against Americans and our friends," he said.
Radical Islam, he said, poses a grave risk to the stability of nations and the well-being of their citizens.
"Powerful digital media platforms now allow ISIS, al-Qaeda, and other terror groups to spread a poisonous ideology that runs completely counter to the values of the American people and all people around the world who value human life," he added.
These groups are often enabled and emboldened by nations, organisations, and individuals sympathetic to their cause.
These actors must face consequences for aiding and abetting what can only be called evil, he said.
Tillerson said eliminating ISIS would be the first step in disrupting the capabilities of other groups and individuals committed to striking America's homeland and allies.
"The demise of ISIS would also allow us to increase our attention on other agents of radical Islam like al-Qaeda, Muslim Brotherhood and certain elements within Iran," he said.
"But defeat will not occur on the battlefield alone; we must win the war of ideas. If confirmed, I will ensure the state department does its part in supporting Muslims around the world who reject radical Islam in all its forms," Tillerson said.
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