Trump repeats previous exaggerations about terrorism in the Philippines

Source: Associated Press

By WILL WEISSERT

The president is recycling exaggerated claims from his first term about the U.S. having saved the Philippines from Islamic State terrorism.

Trump said during his Oval Office meeting with Marcos that the Philippines were “loaded up” with IS and other terrorist groups.

“We cleaned it up,” Trump said, adding, “and now you have a solid country again.”

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In May 2017, IS-aligned local militants, backed by foreign jihadists who only numbered in the dozens, laid siege to Marawi, a small Islamic city. Philippine troops routed them months later, as U.S. and Australian aircraft helped with surveillance.

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