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Trump Signs Executive Order Barring Muslims From Certain Countries From Entering The U.S. (Updated)
Topic Started: Jan 28 2017, 01:39 AM (880 Views)
Webster
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MSN News: Trump Bars All Refugees, and Citizens From 7 Muslim Nations
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WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday closed the nation’s borders to refugees from around the world, ordering that families fleeing Syrian carnage be indefinitely blocked from entering the United States, and temporarily suspending immigration from several predominantly Muslim countries.

Declaring the measure part of an extreme vetting plan to “keep radical Islamic terrorists” out of the country, Mr. Trump also ordered that Christians around the globe who are seeking entry into the United States should be granted priority over Muslims, for the first time establishing a religious test for refugees.

“We don’t want them here,” Mr. Trump said of Islamic terrorists during a signing ceremony at the Pentagon. “We want to ensure that we are not admitting into our country the very threats our soldiers are fighting overseas. We only want to admit those into our country who will support our country, and love deeply our people.”

Earlier in the day, Mr. Trump explained to an interviewer for the Christian Broadcasting Network that Christians in Syria were “horribly treated” and alleged that under previous administrations, “if you were a Muslim you could come in, but if you were a Christian, it was almost impossible.”

“I thought it was very, very unfair. So we are going to help them,” the president said.

The executive order suspends the entry of refugees into the United States for 120 days and directs officials to determine additional screening ”to ensure that those approved for refugee admission do not pose a threat to the security and welfare of the United States.”

The order also stops the admission of refugees from Syria indefinitely, and bars entry into the United States for 90 days from seven predominantly Muslim countries linked to concerns about terrorism. Those countries are: Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

Additionally, Mr. Trump signed a memorandum on Friday directing what he called “a great rebuilding of the armed services,” saying it would call for budget negotiations to acquire new planes, new ships and new resources for the nation’s military.

“Our military strength will be questioned by no one, but neither will our dedication to peace,” Mr. Trump said.

Announcing his “extreme vetting” plan, the president invoked the specter of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Most of the 19 hijackers on the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville, Pa., were from Saudi Arabia. The rest were from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Lebanon. None of those countries is on Mr. Trump’s visa ban list.

Human rights activists roundly condemned Mr. Trump’s actions, describing them as officially sanctioned religious persecution dressed up to look like an effort to make the United States safer.

The International Rescue Committee called it “harmful and hasty.” The American Civil Liberties Union described it as a “euphemism for discriminating against Muslims.” Raymond Offensheiser, the president of Oxfam America, said the order will harm families around the world who are threatened by authoritarian governments.

“The refugees impacted by today’s decision are among the world’s most vulnerable people — women, children, and men — who are simply trying to find a safe place to live after fleeing unfathomable violence and loss,” Mr. Offensheiser said.

The president signed the executive order shortly after issuing a statement noting that Friday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, an irony that many of his critics highlighted on Twitter.
...continued in next post....
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...continued from previous post....
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Mr. Trump’s actions came during a swearing-in ceremony for Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, a former Marine general. Standing in the Hall of Heroes at the Pentagon, Mr. Trump hailed the members of America’s military as “the backbone of this country” and described Mr. Mattis as a “man of action.” The president mistakenly referred to Mr. Mattis as a “soldier,” a term abhorred by Marines.

Mr. Trump has been deferential to Mr. Mattis, who has quickly established himself as a top aide whose advice the president is willing to take. On Friday, Mr. Trump said he would let Mr. Mattis “override” him by banning torture during terror interrogations even though Mr. Trump believes the tactics do work in getting information from suspects.

In a remarkable show of deference to his own subordinate, Mr. Trump said during an earlier news conference Friday morning with Theresa May, the British prime minister, that he would let Mr. Mattis decide about whether to use torture in interrogations. Mr. Mattis has said he does not believe torture is effective.

“I don’t necessarily agree, but I will tell you that he will override because I’m giving him that power,” Mr. Trump said. “I’m going to rely on him. I happen to feel that it does work.”

Mr. Trump appeared to be struggling with the issue even as he spoke, returning several times to his own belief in the effectiveness of torture even as he stated that he would let Mr. Mattis decide.

“But I’m going with our leaders,” he said. “We are going to win, with or without.”

Then he added, “But I do disagree.”

Mr. Mattis spent his first week as defense secretary trying to reassure not only American allies, but also military rank and file, that the United States will not abandon a national security structure that has stood in place since the end of World War II. He has told officials in the Pentagon building that at an uncertain time, he intends, as defense secretary, to provide an even-keeled, measured approach to national security issues.

Before the signing ceremony, Mr. Trump met with Mr. Mattis and his military chiefs for about an hour. The meeting — which took place in a Pentagon secure room known as “the tank” — included introductions for Mr. Trump to his military chiefs of staff. The meeting was attended by Michael Flynn, the national security adviser; Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and the chiefs of the four services and the National Guard.

The men discussed how to accelerate the fight against the Islamic State and North Korea and how to deal with a host of global challenges, said a defense official who was not authorized to talk publicly about the internal talks. The leaders also discussed how to improve military readiness.

The newly sworn-in secretary of defense also gave Mr. Trump a little of what the president has been asking — or tweeting — for. On Thursday, Mr. Mattis ordered a review of the controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, which has been criticized by Mr. Trump for its cost overruns.

Mr. Mattis also ordered that plans for a new Air Force One — another project that has come under fire from Mr. Trump — should be reviewed, “with the specific objective of identifying means to substantially reduce the program’s costs while delivering needed capabilities.”

The F-35 review, Mr. Mattis said in a memo, will also look at how to reduce costs while still meeting requirements set out for the fighter jet program.

During his confirmation hearings this month, Mr. Mattis defended tweets from Mr. Trump criticizing the F-35 program. Mr. Mattis said at the time that Mr. Trump had “in no way shown a lack of support for the program,” adding, “He just wants more bang for the buck.”

The cost of building the F-35 next-generation fighter jet has been an issue at the Pentagon for several years. At an estimated $400 billion over 15 years for 2,443 planes, the fighter jet is the military largest weapons project.
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(The Guardian) Morning Summary
--As the world picks apart Donald Trump’s move to deny refugees and immigrants from certain Muslim-majority countries entry to the United States, the 45th president of the US will take phone calls from major world leaders including the Russian president Vladimir Putin.

The phone calls come after his first meeting as president with a major world leader – the UK prime minister, Theresa May. Much of the coverage of their meeting has been hung around one defining image, that of May and Trump awkwardly holding hands as they walk round the White House.

But May’s meeting with Trump is already behind her as she travels to the Turkish capital, Ankara, to meet with the country’s president, Recep Erdoğan. It is expected the two leaders will discuss a post-Brexit trade deal.

We’ll keep you up to date with reaction to Trump’s latest executive order, the continued analysis of the special relationship, May’s meeting with Erdoğan and other political developments to emerge.
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(The Guardian) Trump is facing mounting criticism for his ban on all Syrian refugees entering the US and a halt on arrivals from a string of mostly Muslim countries, Guardian staff report.

The US president’s executive order, named Protection of the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, places a 90-day block on entry to the US from citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Somalia.

Chuck Schumer, Democratic leader in the Senate, said: Tears are running down the cheeks of the Statue of Liberty tonight as a grand tradition of America, welcoming immigrants, that has existed since America was founded, has been stomped upon.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations announced it would be filing a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the order “because its apparent purpose and underlying motive is to ban people of the Islamic faith from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States”.
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(The Guardian) Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani campaigner for girls’ education who survived an attempted murder by the Taliban when she was 15, said she was “heartbroken” that America was “turning its back on a proud history of welcoming refugees and immigrants – the people who helped build your country, ready to work hard in exchange for a fair chance at a new life”. She added: I am heartbroken that Syrian refugee children, who have suffered through six years of war by no fault of their own, are singled out for discrimination.
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(The Guardian) Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg, said in a statement he was concerned about the impact of Trump’s executive orders.

Zuckerberg, who is Jewish, said his great-grandparents came to the US from Germany, Austria and Poland and his wife’s parents were refugees from China and Vietnam. He said: The United States is a nation of immigrants, and we should be proud of that. Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don’t pose a threat will live in fear of deportation.
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(The Guardian) Madeline Albright, the former US secretary of state, reacting to Trump’s executive order, said: There is no fine print on the Statue of Liberty. America must remain open to people of all faiths and backgrounds.
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(The Guardian) Democratic senator Chris Murphy urged his colleagues to speak out against Trump’s refugee ban. Murphy posted the following tweet alongside the photo of Alan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy who drowned while fleeing with his family.

--To my colleagues: don't ever again lecture me on American moral leadership if you chose to be silent today. (Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT - 28 Jan. 2017)
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(The Guardian) Congressman Seth Moulton, an Iraq war veteran, said he was “ashamed” Trump is president. In a statement, he said: We are a nation of immigrants, and America is stronger when we welcome the refugees of our enemies. These policies do not put America first. I am ashamed that he is our president.
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(The Guardian) Reports of arrivals blocked at US airports
--There are already claims that Trump’s executive order banning immigration from some Muslim countries is preventing refugees and professionals from travelling into the US.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a directive at 4:30pm ordering the Customs and Border Protection to enforce the executive order.

The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee said people who had landed after that had been blocked and told they had to return to their point of origin.

“We’re hearing from a lot of people concerned about family members, friends, classmates. We’re hearing about a lot of folks asking ‘should I cancel my plans,’ and from folks who had to cancel events because of this,” Abed Ayoub of the ADC told the New York Daily News.

“If they are already on the plane, they will not be able to enter.”

Among those reportedly blocked is Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi, who will not be able to travel to the US for the Oscars, for which he is nominated for best foreign language film.
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(The Guardian) A report from Reuters, citing congressional sources and Republicans close to the White House, says Trump and his advisers are considering rescinding a signature policy of the Obama administration that shields young immigrants from deportation.

Reuters reports: Even though Trump campaigned on a promise to roll back Obama’s executive orders on immigration, the Republican has so far left intact an order safeguarding 750,000 people who were brought to the United States illegally as children, known as the “dreamers.”

The issue has become a flashpoint for White House advisers divided between a more moderate faction such as chief of staff Reince Priebus and immigration hardliners Stephen Miller and Steve Bannon, said a former congressional aide who has been involved with immigration issues in Washington.

Priebus has said publicly that Trump will work with Congress to get a “long-term solution” on the issue.

Meanwhile, Miller and Bannon, former head of right-wing website Breitbart News, have pushed Trump to take a harder approach and rescind the protections.
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(The Guardian) Former UK foreign secretary David Miliband has called Trump’s refugee ban a “harmful and hasty” decision.

The ex-Labour MP, who is now the president of humanitarian aid body the International Rescue Committee (IRC), said: America must remain true to its core values. America must remain a beacon of hope.

The IRC said that the US vetting process for prospective refugees is already robust involving biometric screening and up to 36 months of vetting by “12 to 15 government agencies”.

Miliband praised America’s previous record as a resettlement destination, and added: This is no time for America to turn its back on people ready to become patriotic Americans.
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(The Guardian) Within hours of Trump signing the executive order banning nationals from seven countries from entering the US, human rights groups and NGOs reported that they had been inundated with calls from people concerned that they will not be able to get back into the country.

The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) described it as worse than a draft form that had been leaked earlier in the week. In a statement, the council said: As a result, we strongly recommend Iranian green card holders not leave the country until further clarity is achieved.

Social media was alive with claims that people being denied entry to the US -even, in some cases, if they were green card holders.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) said it had received reports that green card holders and other visa holders have been denied boarding and admission into the United States at airports.

Abed A. Ayoub, the ADC’s legal director, said on Twitter that he had received many questions from concerned members.
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(The Guardian) One notable casualty of the new order appeared to be the Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi who is nominated for an Oscar in the best foreign language film. Farhadi said he was concerned that he would no longer be able to enter the US for the ceremony as a result of the order.

NIAC said it had learned that a daughter of a greencard holding Iranian family living in the US had been removed from her plane bound for the US from Dubai.

After five hours of questioning she was allowed by Dubai officials to board another flight to the US.

Later, Parsi reported on Twitter that he had learned of “another Iranian student with multiple entry visa who was denied entry as she returned to the US from from Europe.”

Parsi said it appeared that US border officials were deciding on whether green card holders could re-enter the US on a “case by case” basis which involved asking individuals about their political views.
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(The Guardian) There were reports that some border officials were confused about their new instructions and unhappy about what was being asked of them.

Ibrahim Hooper, communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) told the Guardian: I got a report of somebody who had just returned and had been pulled aside at the airport and was being detained and they were saying the agents don’t know what to do with them. We’re mainly starting to get questions from people, who have green cards and who are overseas and are returning now, about whether they are going to be allowed back into the country. We’re getting questions from young people who are going to go on ummas -lesser pilgrimages- in a group. They’re American citizens and they’re wondering should they go, should they postpone? I personally got a call from someone who has a green card and is overseas and had just booked the first flight they could get. They were actually on their way back trying to make it back home to their American citizen husband and children, not knowing when they land whether they will be allowed into the country. That’s what we’re getting right now.
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