Report ties better relations to security

WASHINGTON , June 2 (UPI) -- Countering distrust between the United States and Muslim countries is critical for international security, a U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project report says.

The U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project, a strategy development group working to address tensions between the United States and Muslims in key countries and regions, released a new printing of a report calling for a more concerted effort to mitigate the conflict, misunderstanding and distrust that hamper U.S. relations with Muslims, the Council on Foreign Relations reported.

The U.S.-Muslim Engagement Project calls on leaders in the United States and Muslim countries around the world to engage in a multifaceted strategy designed to counter the ongoing status quo in which confrontational relations are the norm as part of an effort to strengthen security.

"Few challenges matter more than reducing distrust and misunderstanding between the United States and people living in Muslim majority states, Madeleine Albright, former U.S. secretary of state, said in a statement.