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A4 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 24 sepTember 2019

At U.N., Trump focuses on religious freedom, not climate

By JONATHAN LEMIRE and Washington, and Secretary “We’ve done a lot.” blamed it for last week’s easing of sanctions in ex-
DEB RIECHMANN of State Mike Pompeo an- As for the climate summit, strike at an oil field in Saudi change for Pyongyang’s
Associated Press nounced during this year’s he told reporters as he left: Arabia. commitment to give up its
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — event that he would create “I’m a big believer in clean Asked as he arrived at the nuclear weapons. He said
President Donald Trump an international alliance air and clean water and U.N. building if he will meet only that it “could happen
made his political priorities soon.”
clear Monday within an Trump’s meetings with oth-
hour of arriving at the Unit- er leaders highlighted other
ed Nations for a three-day hot spots around the globe.
visit: He breezed by a major In his meeting with Pakistani
climate change summit to Prime Minister Imran Khan,
focus instead on religious Trump was peppered with
persecution, an issue that questions from Pakistani re-
resonates with his evangeli- porters about India’s role in
cal supporters. the crisis in Kashmir. Khan
The climate summit, a has invited Trump to medi-
centerpiece of this year’s ate the long-running con-
U.N. schedule, was not on flict between Pakistan and
Trump’s agenda at all. But India over the disputed
he stopped in to observe Himalayan region. India
for about 15 minutes before has not agreed to media-
heading to what he saw as tion, but Trump renewed
the main event, a meeting his offer to play middleman
on protecting religious free- between the two nuclear-
dom. armed nations.
Trump said it was an “ur- With Polish President An-
gent moral duty” for world drzej Duda, Trump said
leaders to stop crimes more U.S. troops will be
against faith, release pris- President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda at the stationed in Poland as a
oners of conscience and InterContinental Barclay hotel during the United Nations General Assembly, Monday, Sept. 23, result of a new defense co-
repeal laws restricting reli- 2019, in New York. operation agreement they
gious liberty. Associated Press signed. He said Poland
“Approximately 80% of the asked the U.S. to station
world’s population live in dedicated to the issue. all countries should get to- soon with Iran President more troops there and will
countries where religious Underscoring the impor- gether and do that, and Hassan Rouhani, Trump pay for the new facilities.
liberty is threatened, re- tance of Trump’s action they should do it for them- was noncommittal: “We’ll Singapore Prime Minis-
stricted or even banned,” on the issue to evangeli- selves. Very, very impor- see what happens,” he ter Lee Hsien-Loong and
Trump said, adding that cal voters who are critical tant.” said. “We have a long way Trump signed a memoran-
when he first heard the sta- to his 2020 reelection bid, The Republican president to go, we’ll see what hap- dum to update defense
tistic, he didn’t believe it one prominent evangelical arrived in New York against pens.” cooperation between the
and asked for verification. backer Dallas-based pas- a backdrop of swirling in- Trump’s fulfillment of a two nations.
Trump’s speech Monday tor Robert Jeffress lauded ternational tensions, in- campaign promise to exit With President Abdel-Fat-
extends a long-running Trump for focusing on reli- cluding questions about his the Iran nuclear deal has tah el-Sissi of Egypt, Trump
focus on international reli- gious freedom instead of relationship with Ukraine, had wide ripple effects, talked about the recent
gious freedom that speaks climate change. the uncertain future of leading Tehran to bolster attacks on Saudi Arabia’s
to a key priority of his evan- “What president in history Brexit, the U.S. trade war its nuclear capabilities and oil facilities, which the U.S.
gelical base. His adminis- would have the guts to do with China, stalled nuclear dismaying European capi- has blamed on Iran, and
tration has hosted annual what President Trump is do- negotiations with North tals who worked to estab- about Libya, which slid into
meetings on the topic in ing?” Jeffress, who was set Korea and a weakening lish the original agreement. chaos after a 2011 uprising
to be in the audience for global economy. The presi- Tensions between Washing- that left the country split
Trump’s speech, said on dent scheduled meetings ton and Tehran spiked after between rival authorities
Fox News. “And it’s this kind Monday with leaders of a Saudi Arabia oil field was in the country’s east and
of leadership that is abso- Pakistan, Poland, New Zea- partially destroyed in an at- west.
lutely infuriating the presi- land, Singapore, Egypt and tack that Secretary of State His meeting with New Zea-
dent’s enemies, but it’s also South Korea. Mike Pompeo blamed on land Prime Minister Jacinda
energizing his base, espe- His most immediate chal- Iran and deemed “an act Ardern was closed, but the
cially his religious base of lenge may be Iran. He will of war.” White House said their talks
voters.” try to convince skeptical He also was noncommit- included a discussion of
Trump listed his administra- global capitals to help build tal about a possible fourth the March shooting deaths
tion’s efforts on religious a coalition to confront Teh- meeting with North Korea’s of 51 people at mosques in
freedom and declared, ran after the United States Kim Jong Un to discuss the Christchurch.q