Washington, DC: June 15, 2017. (PCP) Since its launch in 2014, IDC has called on the U.S. government and the international community to use all the means necessary to pursue and punish those who constitute the ideological and financial support network of terrorism. “We are encouraged to see that President Trump is changing the culture in Washington, DC, which too often fails to hold to account those Middle East countries that foment and finance extremism and terrorism,” said IDC President Toufic Baaklini. The Trump Administration’s aggressive stance toward terrorist financing has likely caused many countries to turn up the pressure on Qatar. However, other states in the Middle East and their citizens must also be held to account. “For many decades, the private financing of extremism has led to destabilization, violence, war, and untold human suffering,” added Baaklini. “President Trump seems serious about tackling this issue and we applaud his willingness to advance American interests rather than just going along with the Washington playbook.” IDC continues to support President Trump’s call for the creation of permanent zones of safety and stability for refugees and displaced persons in Iraq and Syria. “Yazidis, Muslims, and Christians in the region have the rights to live safely in their homelands, without fear of persecution by governments or terrorist organizations,” added Baaklini.