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WASHINGTON, May 21-- U.S. President Donald Trump's first trip to Saudi Arabia, which kicked off on Saturday, aims to strengthen the U.S. ties with its Mideast ally and destroy the terror group Islamic State (IS). The two-day trip, which included a major speech on Sunday intended to unite the Muslim world against terrorism and radical ideology, is also considered important as it's the first time a U.S. president traveled to Saudi Arabia on his first overseas trip after being elected. Oil-rich Saudi Arabia carries much weight in the Islamic world, as the country is the birthplace of Islam and the site of Islam's two most significant cities - Mecca and Medina. Saudi Arabia is the source of much intel about terror groups such as IS and al-Qaida - the deadly organization behind the killing of nearly 3,000 people during the attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001. But critics say the Saudis are also a major source of radical Islamist ideology that permeates the Muslim world and beyond. Trump pledged on the campaign trail to defeat IS and keep the U.S. safe from terror attacks, such as several that occurred over the past two years in Paris, Belgium, Istanbul and many other locations worldwide. "Saudi Arabia has a key role to play in... defeating IS," Jim Phillips, senior Middle East research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Xinhua. "He seeks Saudi cooperation in stabilizing Syria, contributing to the military campaign against IS, providing humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees and cutting off IS fundraising," Phillips said. | 
