NATO leader calls terrorists ‘cowards’: report

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called all terrorists regardless of their religion and political ideology as “cowards”.

In an interview with CNN “Hala Gorani Tonight”, following his address to the US Congress, Stoltenberg said: “Terrorism comes in different forms. They misuse religion, political ideology but they are all the same. They believe in violence, they believe in hatred therefore regardless of what type of religion or political ideology they try to use they are the same.

“They are cowards, they believe in hatred and violence and we have to stand up against them… we have to pay attention to both. ISIS tried to establish a caliphate and we needed military capabilities to liberate the territories they controlled.”

Stoltenberg agreed with the US President Donald Trump’s suggestion that allies needed to pay more towards NATO, but insisted that the US “needed friends”.