Donald Trump's first speech during his first trip abroad as president had all the ingredients for disaster. He was speaking in Saudi Arabia, Islam's homeland, to an international gathering of Muslim leaders about a topic that Trump has used in the past to inflame tension rather than seek conciliation.

Yet he maintained a surprisingly moderate tone while delivering an important message about the Muslim world's need to take the lead in the fight against the Islamic State group and other terrorist movements.

The Saudis used Trump's visit to unveil a new Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, this 16 years after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in which 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi citizens. What took the kingdom so long?

It remains to be seen whether Saudi Arabia and other Muslim nations whose religious schools have been churning out Islamist radicals can now stop the monster they've helped create and finance. The gathered leaders needed to hear Trump's admonition to "drive them out" and to understand that this isn't a war between Islam and other faiths but rather "a battle between good and evil."

Trump's trip had raised concerns because of his many inflammatory remarks during last year's presidential campaign using Islam as a foil to whip up his Republican base of support. By calling for a ban on all Muslim immigration and offering pronouncements such as "Islam hates us," Trump raised expectations among his domestic supporters that he would hold a hard line, even if it meant offending some longtime Muslim world allies.

There was no evidence of fiery candidate Trump during Sunday's speech. And while the president singled out Iran for criticism, he made no mention of his administration's decision to abide by the agreement negotiated by his predecessor to curtail Iran's nuclear program in exchange for relaxing sanctions. Trump had promised to scrap it.

Speaking in a nation where women aren't even allowed to drive, Trump remained silent on such issues as free speech and women's rights, saying instead that he wasn't there to lecture or "tell other people how to live." The audience included Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, whose government is infamous for torturing detainees and jailing journalists and moderate dissidents. Trump offered nothing but praise for el-Sissi.

The message his audience received was that the United States has no problem with Muslim leaders who crush all forms of dissent and criticism, even among those who have absolutely no reason to promote the radical agenda.

When those leaders refuse to give an opening even to moderate points of view, they ensure the Middle East will never escape the cycle of dictatorship, oppression and instability that has made it such a fertile recruiting ground for groups like al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. They needed to hear Trump say that, too.

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