Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull shows his concern centres on doing a refugee deal with the US rather than condemning Donald Trump's policy

Those elements would spark instant recognition among many – they represent the tools and endpoints of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US.

Nearly 3000 people were killed in the atrocity, which was committed by 19 hijackers.

The evil deed changed the mindset of America’s leaders and put the spotlight on Islamic extremism with al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden its ugly face.

Bin Laden came from Saudi Arabia and 15 of those 19 hijackers also were from the kingdom.

Fast forward just 16 over years and a couple of US presidents later and Donald Trump is in the White House vowing to tackle Muslim extremism.

He decrees that immigration will be frozen from seven majority Muslim countries but that number does not include Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan and Pakistan which have been a haven for terrorists.

Those nations affected – Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen – already faced extra scrutiny under the previous US administration.

It raises questions about why those other countries have not been targeted, but more importantly there are serious concerns about the impact of such action.

Undoubtedly Mr Trump was elected with a promise that he would make the US safer from terrorism, but the suspicion is that the world will be less safe by his action which is seen as targeting everyday Muslims.

This discriminatory aspect has prompted condemnation from many world leaders – British Prime Minister Theresa May said she did not agree with it and German Chancellor Angela Merkel calls it wrong.

But Australia’s Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull would not enter the debate.

That is not surprising considering his eagerness for the US to resettle detainees from Australia’s offshore detention centres.

Knowing Mr Trump’s sensitive ego, Mr Turnbull is hardly going to provoke the former reality television show host over an issue which is a lightning rod in Australian politics.

Last week Mr Turnbull told an Australia Day gathering that our country is set apart from others by being “inclusive”, “compassionate” and “genuine”.

Just don’t expect the Prime Minister to promote those qualities to the US president when refugees are up for export.