Archive for the ‘Iraq’ Category

The Latest: Iraq says it won’t retaliate for US travel ban – Corvallis Gazette Times

WASHINGTON (AP) The Latest on President Donald Trump, his travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries and other immigration actions (all times local):

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is calling on President Donald Trump to lift his ban on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries "as soon as possible."

Guterres said Tuesday that countries have the right to avoid infiltration of terrorist organizations but not based on discrimination related to religion, ethnicity, or a person's nationality.

Guterres warned that "blind measures, not based on solid intelligence, tend to be ineffective as they risk being bypassed by what are today sophisticated global terrorist movements."

He also said such discrimination is against "fundamental principles and values" and "triggers widespread anxiety and anger" that may spur extremist propaganda.

Guterres expressed concern that refugees fleeing conflict and persecution are finding more borders closing, in violation of the protection they are entitled to under international refugee law

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly is denying reports that he was not given details of President Donald Trump's executive order on immigration until around the time Trump signed it.

Kelly told reporters he looked at two drafts of the order before the Friday signing and that high-level government lawyers and agency officials were involved in drafting it.

He also said he knew it was coming because Trump had long talked about it as a presidential candidate.

Trump's order temporarily halted the U.S. refugee program and banned entries from citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days.

People who know Kelly told The Associated Press that he was not aware of the details in the directive until around the time that Trump signed it.

A senior U.S. official says 872 refugees will be allowed into the United States this week despite the Trump administration executive order suspending the U.S. refugees program.

Kevin McAleenan, acting commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, said these refugees would be granted waivers. He said that was allowed for under the order, in instances where refugees were ready for travel and stopping them would cause "undue hardship."

McAleenan said this was being done in concert with the State Department. He said 872 refugees will be arriving this week and will processed for waivers through the end of the week.

He was speaking at a news conference Tuesday about the administration's new immigration restrictions, which also suspends arrival by nationals from seven predominantly Muslim nations.

Iraq's prime minister says a travel ban ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump is an "offense to Iraq," but that he won't take retaliatory measures.

An executive order signed over the weekend temporarily prevents the entry of citizens of Iraq and six other Muslim-majority countries. The new U.S. administration says it is necessary to keep out potential terrorists until security procedures can be improved.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told a news conference Tuesday that he hopes the order will be changed.

He said the U.S. should be grateful to Iraq because of its "sacrifices in fighting terrorism," but that "the way the order was issued was not good, and I don't want to cause the same offense to the American people."

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have been battling the Islamic State group for more than two years, and are currently trying to drive the extremists from Mosul, the country's second-largest city.

The U.S. Embassy in Israel says Israelis born in the seven Muslim-majority countries under a travel ban ordered by President Donald Trump can still travel to the United States under certain conditions.

A message posted on the embassy website on Tuesday says Israeli passport holders born in Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, or Yemen who do not have a valid passport from their birth country can travel to the U.S. under a valid visa.

The embassy says it's continuing to process visa applications from Israelis born in those countries who don't have a passport from one of the seven countries or have not "declared themselves to be a national of one of those countries."

Hundreds of thousands of Jews born in countries in the Middle East and North Africa settled in Israel after the country's establishment in 1948. Many were automatically stripped of their citizenship by those countries when they left.

It is rare for Israelis to be dual nationals of one of the seven countries and the U.S. Embassy did not specifically say what happens to Israelis who carry a second passport from one of the countries under Trump's ban.

The executive order Trump issued caused confusion among Israelis born in countries affected by the travel ban.

France's prime minister is criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump's three-month immigration ban on refugees from Muslim countries as being useless in the fight against terrorism.

Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Tuesday that Trump's decision "only aims at exacerbating tensions, creating potential conflicts" and "in the end, the greatest inefficiency regarding results in the fight against terrorism."

Cazeneuve, who was interior minister in 2015 and 2016 when deadly terror attacks were carried out by Islamic extremists in France, said the government reinforced its counterterrorism law and boosted security forces while preserving "national unity" and the values of the country.

He says the U.S. ban "is useless because it ostracizes some countries" and "makes it impossible to welcome people who are persecuted in their country and need protection from free nations."

The Netherlands' firebrand anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has clashed in Parliament with the Dutch foreign minister over U.S. President Donald Trump's travel ban for people from seven Muslim nations.

In a debate Tuesday, Wilders seen by many as a Dutch equivalent of Trump paid tribute to the new U.S. leader, saying, "Finally America has a president, finally a country in the West has a president, who not only lives up to his promises but who says 'the freedom of my citizens is more important than anything.'"

Foreign Minister Bert Koenders hit back, saying, "If you want to fight terror, then the worst thing you can do is trample human rights."

The Dutch government has updated its travel advisory for the U.S. to warn of the effects of Trump's new policy on Dutch citizens who have dual nationality with one of the seven nations affected.

The leaders of Germany and Sweden are decrying the immigration restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump and both say they're seeking more clarity on how citizens will be affected.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said that "the fight against terrorism does not justify such general action against particular countries and people of a particular faith." Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven called the move "counterproductive" and "totally unacceptable."

The two leaders were speaking at a press conference in Stockholm Tuesday.

Merkel also stressed Germany's commitment to the independence of the European Central Bank and trading "in fair competition with everyone else" on world markets.

That came after Peter Navarro, who is to lead a new White House council on trade, was quoted in the Financial Times as saying that Germany is using a "grossly undervalued" euro to "exploit" the U.S. and its European partners.

Iran's foreign minister has reiterated that Iran will no longer issue visas for Americans, describing the decision as a "counter-action" to Trump's executive order banning nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, from entering the United States.

Mohammad Javad Zarif added that "if there is an exception, it will be reviewed through the mechanism which has been created in the Foreign Ministry." Zarif spoke to the "Khorasan daily" on Tuesday on the sidelines of a joint press conference with his visiting French counterpart, Jean-Marc Ayrault. About 5 million tourists visit Iran each year, most of them coming from Iraq and other neighboring countries. Europeans have also been coming to Iran, but Americans represent far less than 1 percent of the total or about 50,000 and are subjected to rigorous background checks. Zarif first announced the reciprocal move by Tehran on Saturday, when Trump's visa restrictions took effect. At the time, he said Iran's ban will not be retroactive and that all Americans with already valid Iranian visas "will be gladly welcomed."

Iran's oil minister says there is no ban on American companies working in Iran's oil industry.

The semi-official ILNA news agency on Tuesday is quoting Bijan Zanganeh as saying: "American companies face no ban for entering our oil industry."

However, Zanganeh said American companies "have not directly applied" to work in Iran's oil industry, so far.

This is the first such remark by Iran after an executive order by U.S. president Donald Trump on Friday banned immigration and visa processing for Iranians alongside six other Muslim countries.

In January, Iran's Oil Ministry published a list of 29 international companies qualified to bid for oil and gas projects following the lifting of sanctions under a landmark nuclear accord that went into effect last year.

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The Latest: Iraq says it won't retaliate for US travel ban - Corvallis Gazette Times

Angus King: Trump travel ban ‘worst foreign policy decision’ since Iraq war – The Hill

Sen. Angus KingAngus KingAngus King: I'm voting for Tillerson but against Sessions Angus King: Trump travel ban 'worst foreign policy decision' since Iraq war Overnight Energy: Senate begins moving Trump's energy, environment team MORE (I-Maine) on Tuesday blasted President Trump's executive order banning refugees from entering the U.S., saying it makes the country more dangerous, not less.

"This is probably the worst foreign policy decision since the invasion of Iraq. What it's done is played right into ISIS's hands," King said on CNN's "New Day."

King said he's spent a great deal of his time on matters of foreign policy and terrorism.

"We just played right into their hands. Over the weekend, there were all kinds of excited communications from [the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria] about what a great thing Donald TrumpDonald TrumpState officials defy Spicer, rip travel ban: report NY attorney general joins ACLU lawsuit against Trump order San Francisco sues Trump admin. over sanctuary cities order MORE had done for them."

King added that America has troops in Iraq fighting alongside Muslim troops.

"And what does it do to that situation? What kind of danger does it raise?" he said.

"There are 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and we don't want a war with all of them. We don't need a war with all of them. We're not opposed to all of them."

A lot of intelligence the country gets about terrorism also comes from Muslims, he said.

Trump's executive order, signed Friday, has spurred protests across the country, with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers raising concerns.

Sen. John McCainJohn McCainGraham to attend White House SCOTUS announcement Former Obama official: Trump management style isn't working in White House Angus King: Trump travel ban 'worst foreign policy decision' since Iraq war MORE (R-Ariz.)saidSunday the president's order may fuel ISIS propaganda.

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Angus King: Trump travel ban 'worst foreign policy decision' since Iraq war - The Hill

Iraqi leader to US: Americans come to Iraq to fight with ISIS, but I haven’t banned you – Washington Post

IRBIL, Iraq Iraqs prime minister said Tuesday that a ban preventing his citizens from visiting the United States was an insult but that barring Americans in retaliation could hurt national interests during the war against the Islamic State.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi gave a measured response in his first public comments since Iraq was included on a list of seven Muslim-majority countries in President Trumps executive order restricting immigration.

Abadi said he was looking for ways to reduce the damage from the decision.He said he would not enforce an equal ban on Americans, an option the Iraqi parliament had supported in a vote Monday.

We are in the middle of a battle, he said.

More than 5,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq, where they are backing Iraqi forces in their fight against the Islamic State. The visa ban has shaken relations between the two countries as they draw close to defeating the militant group in Mosul, the last major city it controls in Iraq.

[The number of people affected by Trumps travel ban: About 90,000]

The restrictions have increased pressure on Abadi, who is being pushed to act in retaliation to the ban but is beholden to U.S. military support.

Abadi pointed out that it is unfair to tar with the same brush the entire population of a nation.

There are Americans fighting with the Islamic State, he said. I cant say because of that all Americans are terrorists. Each country has good and bad people.

It echoed comments made a day earlier by Iraqs foreign minister, Ibrahim al-Jafari, who added that no Iraqis have been responsible for acts of terrorism on U.S. soil. Other countries whose nationals have been involved in attacks, such as Saudi Arabia, have escaped the ban, which has been imposed for 90 days while the Trump administration makes assessments. Refugee processing has been suspended for 120 days.

The move caused chaos at airports as those with valid visas were turned back. Some Iraqi families who had sold all their possessions after being approved for resettlement were told they could not travel.

Mustafa Salim in Baghdad contributed to this report.

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Iraqi leader to US: Americans come to Iraq to fight with ISIS, but I haven't banned you - Washington Post

Iraq pushes back with ‘reciprocity measure’ against Trump’s ban

After President Donald Trump barred Iranians from entering the U.S, Iran said it would ban all U.S. citizens from coming to its country. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

People protest against President Trump's executive immigration ban, in Brussels on Jan. 30.(Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

Iraq retaliated Monday against President Trump's executive order banning itsnationalsfromentering the United States for 90 days by approving a "reciprocity measure" that will apply to Americans seeking admissionto the country.

The counter-move was adopted by Iraq's parliament, although it was not clear to what extent it would apply to aid workers, oil company executives and other key workerswho routinely do business in Iraq.

The U.S. military, which has about 5,000 personnel in the country,does not enter Iraq through normal immigration channels. There are thousands of civilian contractors working for the State Department and U.S. military in Iraq.

The push back from Iraq's governmentcame as other voices in the Muslim world and beyond weighed in with criticism and concerns Monday.

An association that represents57 Muslim-majority countries expressed "graveconcern"that Trump's executive order banning refugees and citizensfrom seven of its members from traveling to the U.S.will "embolden the radical narratives of extremists" and provide further fuel for "advocates of violence and terrorism."

Refugee admissions have been halted for120 days. Syrians have been barred indefinitely.

The forcefully worded statement from the Saudi Arabia-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, a group that promotes Muslim solidarity in economic, social and political affairs, arrived as the fallout from Trump's ban for citizens of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen all OIC members showed no sign of abating.

"The OIC calls upon the United States government to reconsider this blanket decision and maintain its moral obligation to provide leadership and hope at a time of great uncertainty and unrest in the world," the organization said.

The OIC's rebuke was the official criticism out of Saudi Arabia, a staunch U.S. ally, and came just a day after Trump spoke to Saudi King Salman and invited him to the White House. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, countries with large Muslim populations, were not included in the ban.

In Europe,European UnionCommission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said that the 28-nation bloc is carefully studying Trump's decision to see how much the travel ban on refugees will impact its 500 million citizens.

Contributing: Jim Michaels in Washington.

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Iraq pushes back with 'reciprocity measure' against Trump's ban

Iraq Mulls Retaliatory Ban on U.S. Over Donald Trump Order | Time … – TIME

U.S. military vehicles are seen during an operation to attack Islamic State militants in the town of Bashiqa, east of Mosul, Iraq, on Nov. 7, 2016. Azad LashkariReuters

Updated: 12:09 PM UTC | Originally published: Jan 29, 2017

Iraqi lawmakers voted Monday to approve a "reciprocity measure" that might see U.S. nationals banned from entering the country in retaliation against U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order on Iraqis in the U.S., a move that could hinder the fight against ISIS.

The Iraqi parliaments foreign committee earlier issued a statement calling on the Iraqi government to act after President Trump controversially ordered that citizens from Iraq and six other Muslim-majority countries be refused entry to the U.S. for at least 90 days. Iraq is on the front line of the war on terrorism, said the statement, released Sunday. It is unfair that the Iraqis are treated in this way.

On Monday, the parliament voted to ask the government to retaliate, Reuters reports . It's not clear yet whether a ban on U.S. nationals is a realistic possibility; Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has not yet issued a public reaction to the order.

If a retaliatory ban were to be enacted it could impact thousands of American aid workers, contractors and journalists currently working in Iraq, as well as more than 5,000 U.S. military personnel there to aid Iraqi forces in their effort to oust ISIS from Mosul and the country.

This decision by the U.S. is arbitrary, said Intisar Al-Jabbouri, a Sunni MP from the Nineveh Governorate in northern Iraq. The Iraqi government has the right to reciprocate.

The U.S. withdrew troops from Iraq in 2011, but since ISIS captured swaths of Iraqi territory in 2014, it has slowly sent advisers, trainers and special forces back to the country. Their guidance as well as weapons and funding has been key to the fight against ISIS.

Iraqi forces are battling the militants of the so-called Islamic State in the neighborhoods of Mosul , Iraqs second largest city and the largest urban center still under ISIS control. American military advisers are nearby, helping to direct the fight.

If Iraq were to ban U.S. citizens from traveling to Iraq it would have devastating consequences for our fight against ISIS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, said Chris Harmer, a senior analyst with the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War. Thats just in the short term."

Nevertheless the idea has caught on in certain, influential circles. Moqtada al-Sadr, a powerful Shiite cleric who led a violent insurgency in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion, quickly issued a statement saying Americans should leave. It would be arrogant for you to enter freely to Iraq and other countries while barring them the entrance to your country, Sadr said on his website, addressing the U.S. And therefore you should get your nationals out.

Other Iraqi leaders may be keen to see the Americans leave in the hope that Iran may fill the void left behind, rather than that simple reciprocity for President Trumps ban on Iraqi nationals. Those that are closely aligned with Iran might think this is a good idea an opportunity to remove American influence from Iraq once and for all, said Renad Mansour, an Academy Fellow for the Middle East and North Africa at Chatham House.

Mansour says Sadr, as well as Iranian-backed leaders, may use Trump's ban for their own political gains and take the opportunity to stoke anti-American sentiment. "Now they can say, 'I told you so.'"

It's possible Trump's order could exacerbate cracks in the already fragile coalition in Iraq, in which groups who receive support from the U.S. fight in concert with those who are backed by Iran. Iranian generals have been spotted on the front lines in key battles against ISIS, both in Iraq and Syria. Shiite militias, many funded by Tehran, are ruthless fighters but have been accused of abuses against civilian populations , fueling sectarian tensions.

The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mostly Shiite militias, also issued a statement on Sunday urging al-Abadi to kick out U.S. nationals. Its going to be tricky for al-Abadi to deal with, said Mansour.

Despite the strong rhetoric and anti-American sentiment in response to Trumps decision, lawmaker Jabbouri says it would be difficult for Iraq to approve and implement such a ban given the essential role the U.S. plays in both its military and humanitarian efforts. There is a strategic need to keep American experts to ensure the sustainability of the coalition fight against ISIS, she says.

But if the Iraqi parliament gets its way, it could provide an opening for Iran to extend its influence on the country. The U.S. scaling-back of operations has already left room for an increasing Iranian presence, Harmer says. Long term, it would complete the decline of U.S. strategic influence in Iraq and pave the way for Iran to increase their already significant influence over the Iraqi government." The effect, he says, would be "catastrophic."

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Iraq Mulls Retaliatory Ban on U.S. Over Donald Trump Order | Time ... - TIME