IS affiliate calls Trump a 'maniac'; good for recruitment
Although most Muslims fear Donald Trump's term in office, an IS commander said he is relishing the chance to harness the anger of Muslim youth in the coming four years.
2 min read
The Taliban are said to be overjoyed with Trump's election victory [AFP]
The commander of Afghanistan's branch of the Islamic State group has called US President-elect Donald Trump a "maniac" and said his policies will radicalise a new generation of Muslims.
Abu Omar Khorasani - a leading figure in IS' so-called "Khorasan" franchise - told Reuters that the president-elect's hatred towards Muslims and Islamophobic policies will make it easier for the group to find new recruits.
"This guy is a complete maniac. His utter hate towards Muslims will make our job much easier because we can recruit thousands," the militant leader told Reuters.
"Our leaders were closely following the US election but it was unexpected that the Americans will dig their own graves and they did so."
He described the current President Barack Obama as a "moderate infidel" with "at least a little brain in comparison to Trump", Reuters reported.
This comes after Trump promised to bar Muslims from entering the US, and force American-Muslims to register with authorities.
Another militant commander in Afghanistan's Taliban also found the prospect of Trump's four-year term appealing.
The unnamed leader told the Reuters that Trump's tough anti-terror policies will backfire and lead to more attacks against the US.
"If he does what he warned in his election campaign, I am sure it will provoke Muslim Ummah (community) across the world and jihadi organisations can exploit it," he said.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was more forthright in his criticism for Trump's Democrat rival Hillary Clinton - considered a "hawk" - during last week's US election.
Referring to the presidential televised debates, he found Trump as a more appealing and honest candidate than Clinton for Americans.
"Since the man was more outspoken, spoke more frankly, American people paid more attention to him," the Islamic Republic leader said.
"[Americans] were hearing his words and realised them to be true; they were seeing the same things in their own lives."
Trump has promised to concentrate US military efforts in the Middle East on defeating IS rather than spreading democracy or backing opponents of the region's dictators.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is thought to have strongly supported Trump, and sent the president-elect a gushing letter after the election.
The Republican leader's win has also seen far-right leaders in Europe rejoice, and the Syrian regime and Lebanese militants Hizballah.
Abu Omar Khorasani - a leading figure in IS' so-called "Khorasan" franchise - told Reuters that the president-elect's hatred towards Muslims and Islamophobic policies will make it easier for the group to find new recruits.
"This guy is a complete maniac. His utter hate towards Muslims will make our job much easier because we can recruit thousands," the militant leader told Reuters.
"Our leaders were closely following the US election but it was unexpected that the Americans will dig their own graves and they did so."
He described the current President Barack Obama as a "moderate infidel" with "at least a little brain in comparison to Trump", Reuters reported.
This comes after Trump promised to bar Muslims from entering the US, and force American-Muslims to register with authorities.
Another militant commander in Afghanistan's Taliban also found the prospect of Trump's four-year term appealing.
The unnamed leader told the Reuters that Trump's tough anti-terror policies will backfire and lead to more attacks against the US.
"If he does what he warned in his election campaign, I am sure it will provoke Muslim Ummah (community) across the world and jihadi organisations can exploit it," he said.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was more forthright in his criticism for Trump's Democrat rival Hillary Clinton - considered a "hawk" - during last week's US election.
Referring to the presidential televised debates, he found Trump as a more appealing and honest candidate than Clinton for Americans.
"Since the man was more outspoken, spoke more frankly, American people paid more attention to him," the Islamic Republic leader said.
"[Americans] were hearing his words and realised them to be true; they were seeing the same things in their own lives."
Trump has promised to concentrate US military efforts in the Middle East on defeating IS rather than spreading democracy or backing opponents of the region's dictators.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is thought to have strongly supported Trump, and sent the president-elect a gushing letter after the election.
The Republican leader's win has also seen far-right leaders in Europe rejoice, and the Syrian regime and Lebanese militants Hizballah.
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