According to officials who have been briefed on the matter, President Trump is planning to sign an executive order that would impose a temporary ban on visas for citizens of seven countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa, a move which some reports indicate could just be the beginning of further limits.
The ban will exclude all people from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, and Yemen from visiting the United States. It is also to include a total ban on refugees entering the United States from anywhere, with some exceptions for religious minorities.
Trump campaigned on the idea of banning all Muslims from entering the United States, and while he’s said to have moderated on that position since then, this appears to be at least the start of a policy in that vein. At the same time, the ban list has some conspicuous absences.
Despite presenting such moves as a national security measure intended to prevent terror, the nations from which 9/11 plotters originated (primarily Saudi Arabia, but also including Egypt and the UAE) were left off the new ban. Also, while the US may fear blowback from wars in Iraq and Syria, and constant drone strikes in Yemen, they did not include Afghanistan, 15 years into America’s occupation, nor Pakistan, which has borne the brunt of America’s drone war.
It is thus very difficult to figure exactly how they came by this list, with nations like Iran seemingly just included for political value, and the other countries on the list just sounding scary.
Noticeable exceptions: Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE.
Maybe the ban needs to be expanded
15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers were Saudis, and he’s banning citizens of the impoverished state that Saudi Arabia is bombing into oblivion. No wonder they hate us for our freedom. Another Saudi can’t fly a plane into the White House soon enough.
Not bad idea considering that Obama has been bombing all these places. Not sure where his beef with Iran is coming from–kushner perhaps?
You’re not sure where Trump’s beef with Iran is coming from!
You’re the perfect Trumper! You should get together with Raimondo. He might like some of your ideas!
This will at least be a meaningless move that will be popular with the lowlife who helped get Trump elected.
The value in doing this could be that it will take those ass-es minds off meaningful measures such as improving relations with Russia.
What other value could it possibly have for normal people?
Has anyone read Raimondo’s latest? I haven’t the time but I think it’s basically about blaming the establishment for not allowing Trump to do good things. At least that’s what I got from the first couple of paragraphs. Admittedly, it could cover a myriad of different issues in a passing way.
Anybody who got the main point? It would be appreciated! He’s 65?
luv from Canada.
It’s not a threat. He announced his retirement plans last spring, IIRC.
A total ban on “refugees” has legal problems.
I guess the best way to stay off the ban list is to have your citizens run planes into our buildings. If only Iran had known.
But Bush, Cheney and the media said that the Iraqis were responsible for 9-11 so it must be true…right?
There are complexities I am sure Trump has not considered. What about the members of the Free Syrian Army, who travel back and forth to the United States to raise money and lobby for support? What about the Iraqis who actually work for the US government, or the various military members who come to the US for training?
What about the members of the MEK, the Iranian cult that is intent on overthrowing the government of Iran?
I suspect we’ll see exceptions made for terrorists who work for the US.
I am surprised that the only objection Antiwar folks seem to have is why he has not included some other countries. Punishing innocent people for the crime of deranged terrorists is not a good policy. Period. No need to ask why some countries are not included.
And when he decides that Americans aren’t spending enough of their vacation dollars at home in the grand ‘ole USA, will he ban citizens from LEAVING America too? A wall big enough to keep folks out is also big enough to keep everyone in. Every president a greater dictator than the previous one.
Poor Valerie Jarrett will lose her fan club.