Trump brushes off al-shabaab recruiting video citing his words Nepal parties, Madhesis meet to end political crisis
WASHINGTON: Donald Trump is not surprised or disappointed or contrite, he features in alshabaab’s terror video. As a “frontrunner” who speaks out against terrorism, it was expected.
But, he did seem relieved and perhaps a little vindicated he featured in an al-shabaab video and not one by the Islamic State, as had been charged by Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton.
Al-shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate in Somalia, released recently a 51-minute propaganda video that features Trump’s statement seeking a ban on Muslims entering the US.
The video seeks to portray the US as a racist country that is at war with Islam and uses another American, radical cleric Anwar al-aulaki killed in a 2103 drone strike, to enforce that point.
Trump responded in a tweet on Saturday: “al-shabaab, not ISIS, just made a video on me they all will as front-runner & if I speak out against them, which I must. Hillary lied!”
Clinton had claimed during the last Democratic debate that IS was using inflammatory comments from Trump to attract recruits. There was no evidence of that then, as now.
Multiple fact-checkers found that claim unfounded, and Clinton was widely slammed for it, but the narrative took root in an escalating war of words between the two frontrunners.
Clinton has called Trump “sexist”, to which the real estate tycoon responded by bringing up her husband, former President Bill Clinton, calling him “degenerate” among other things.
“Hillary Clinton lied last week when she said ISIS made a D.T. video. The video that ISIS made was about her husband being a degenerate,” Trump said in another tweet. KATHMANDU: The top leaders, including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, of Nepal’s three major political parties on Sunday met agitating Madhesi front in a bid to end the current political crisis in the country over the new constitution.
The meeting took place after Indian ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae called on UCPN (Maoist) chairman Prachanda at latter’s residence in the afternoon. According to Prachanda’s personal secretariat, he urged the envoy to end blockade as soon as possible.
Prachanda said the border blockade imposed by India for the past few months would hamper the friendly relations between the two countries, Kathmandu Post reported.
In reply, Rae said India is keen to find early solution to the Nepal crisis.
Later, Nepal’s ruling coalition — CPN-UML and Cpn-maoist, the main opposition Nepali Congress and the agitating United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) held talks at Prime Minister’s official residence.
They discussed issues relating to agitation by Madhesis — largely of Indian-origin, border blockade and constitution amendment bill tabled in parliament.