Trump visit gives new hope in fight against terror, says female Shoura member

Hoda Abdulrahman Al-Helaissi

RIYADH: A female member of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council said US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia gives new hope in the global fight against terror and extremism.
Hoda Abdulrahman Al-Helaissi was speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Riyadh Forum on Countering Extremism & Fighting Terrorism, which was held on Sunday in the Saudi capital.
Al-Helaissi said that Trump’s new administration could help Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia cooperate in an organized fight against terror.
She said that Saudi Arabia has fought against terror from the beginning, and had successfully formed a coalition with Muslim countries to combat the problem. 
Al-Helaissi said she hopes that such efforts are supported by other non-Islamic countries to make the fight more effective.
The Shoura Council member moderated a session at the Riyadh forum, in a discussion she said focused on identifying the cause of terror and ways to combat it.
Saudi Arabia formed the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) in December 2015 headed by Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 
The IMCTC is a 41-nation alliance of willing partner countries united in the fight against terror.
It provides a platform for countries to propose, debate and facilitate collaboration among member and supporting nations for the execution of initiatives in four domains — ideology, communications, counterterrorism financing and military.