US importing terrorism through failed immigration system: Trump

Washington: The US is "importing radical Islam" through a failed immigration system, Republican presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump has warned as he ramped up his rhetoric for a ban on Muslims entering the country.

"We need to tell the truth, also, about how radical Islam is coming to our shores. We are importing radical Islamic terrorism into the West through a failed immigration system and through an intelligence community held back by our president," Trump, 69, said in a major policy speech in terrorism and national security.

His comments came two days after a New York-born self-radicalised Afghan-origin youth killed 50 people in the deadliest mass shooting in American history.

In his speech in New Hampshire, Trump reiterated call for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the US and said that the Afghan family of the Orlando Shooter should not have been allowed to enter America.

"We have a dysfunctional immigration system which does not permit us to know who we let into our country, and it does not permit us to protect our citizens. We have an incompetent administration, and if I am not elected President, that will not change over the next four years, but it must change, and it must change now," he said.

"With fifty people dead, and dozens more wounded, we cannot afford to talk around the issue anymore, we have to address it head on. I called for a ban after San Bernardino, and was met with great scorn and anger but now, many are saying I was right to do so and although the pause is temporary, we must find out what is going on," he said.

Trump said the ban will be lifted when "we as a nation are in a position" to properly and perfectly screen those people coming into the US.

Immigration laws give the President the power to suspend entry into the country of any class of persons that he deems detrimental to the interests or security of the country, he observed.

"I will use this power to protect the American people. When I am elected, I will suspend immigration from areas of the world when there is a proven history of terrorism against the United States, Europe or our allies, until we understand how to end these threats," Trump said.

"After a full, impartial and long overdue security assessment, we will develop a responsible immigration policy that serves the interests and values of America. We cannot continue to allow thousands upon thousands of people to pour into our country, many of whom have the same thought process as this savage killer," the billionaire from New York said.

Trump gave examples of several terrorists and their families entering the US through immigration system. "All of the September 11 hijackers were issued visas. Large numbers of Somali refugees in Minnesota have tried to join the ISIS. The Boston bombers came here through political asylum," he said.

"The male shooter in San Bernardino again, whose name I won't mention was the child of immigrants from Pakistan, and he brought his wife, the other terrorist from Saudi Arabia, through another one of our easily exploited visa programmes," Trump said.

He also demanded that Muslims in the country start turning in those who they suspect could engage in terrorist activities.

"The Muslims have to turn people. The Muslims, you will find out, now all sorts of things will be said about this guy and people will say oh gee, why didn't we get him? They have to turn people in," Trump told Fox News in an interview. However, he hoped that Muslims would not be afraid of him because of his rhetoric.

"I hope not," he said in response to a question.

"I want to straighten things out. But it's so important that they and they're tremendous people. It's so important that when they see trouble going on, like they did in San Bernardino," he said.

"I mean, there were numerous people who saw bombs all over this apartment floor, they knew something was going on. They never reported him or her. They never reported and that 14 people killed and many, many people injured," he added.

"Same thing here, you will going to find out with this savage that did this horrible thing over the weekend that many people said oh, I knew that was going to happen. They have got to report him," he said.

"Because the Muslims are the ones that see what's going on. The Muslims are the ones that have to report him. And if they don't report him, then there have to be consequences to them," Trump said.

During the interview Trump slammed both US President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, for what he alleged their softer approach on radical Islamic terrorism.

"Why he (Obama) doesn't fight it and why he doesn't fight it with strength and with vigor, nobody knows. That's certainly a topic of conversation for plenty of people. But he is not doing a good job. That is for sure," Trump said in response to a question.

"Nobody knows why he doesn't have more anger. Why he doesn't have more competitive zeal. He is a competitive person. Why doesn't he have more competitive zeal to knock them out. I mean, look at what's going on. Look at what's happening? This Orlando attack was just absolutely horrendous and, yet, he still doesn't even use the word of radical Islamic terror," Trump alleged.

Trump alleged that Clinton is in total denial. "She is in total denial, and her continuing reluctance to ever name the enemy broadcasts weakness across the world," he said.

The Clinton Campaign, quickly slammed Trump on its policies. In a tweet, Clinton said inflammatory anti-Muslim rhetoric hurts the vast majority of Muslims who love freedom and hate terror. "It's wrong, and it's dangerous," she said.