Trump’s declared opposition to radical Islam rings hollow after latest Saudi deal

It took three men just eight minutes to inflict death and serious injuries on the many innocent people enjoying a night out in London.

This copy-cat attack won’t be the last, since it has proved successful as a means of inflicting maximum damage on a soft target, and the perpetrators willingly accept their promised fast-track to heaven under a hail of bullets.

Those who declare that the UK should now follow Donald Trump’s example should note that his proposed banned entry of people from seven majority-muslim countries notably excluded Saudi Arabia from the list. Since most of the 9/11 terrorists were citizens of Saudi Arabia, this might seem illogical, until we recall the unsavoury facts.

Saudi Arabia threatened massive divestment from the United States if a proposed bill to allow families of US citizens killed in the attacks to sue the country was passed. Barack Obama vetoed the bill, which Congress then overrode last year – a first defeat for Obama, and a lesson in the fine art of balancing financial interests against ethical considerations for his successor. It didn’t take long for Trump to reverse his anti-saudi stance after his electoral victory. His hastily arranged meeting with Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in March this year led to the start of a new programme worth potentially more than $200 billion within the next four years, according to a White House statement issued at the time.

The Saudis later issued a statement declaring that the Crown Prince considers Trump to be “a true friend of Muslims”. Only the right kind of Muslims, of course – those with whom you can cut deals worth billions of dollars. The new president’s declared opposition to radical Islam rings hollow for those who see Saudi Arabia as a major spawning ground for terror. CAROLYN TAYLOR Gagiebank, Wellbank Broughty Ferry, Dundee