Egypt Daily News – U.S. President Donald Trump issued a decision on Wednesday to ban citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States, including four Arab countries: Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen.
The ban also includes Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, and Haiti.
At the same time, the executive order imposed partial restrictions on the entry of citizens from seven additional countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela.
Trump said in a statement: “As President, I must act to protect the national security and national interest of the United States and its people. I reaffirm my commitment to cooperate with countries willing to coordinate in order to improve information-sharing mechanisms, identity verification procedures, and to address the risks associated with terrorism and public safety.”
The statement issued by the White House noted that the countries under the full ban were classified as “lacking in effective screening and verification procedures, and posing a significant threat to the United States.”
The decision includes exceptions for lawful permanent residents, holders of valid visas, certain visa categories, and individuals whose entry serves “U.S. national interests,” according to the White House statement.
In a video address, Trump said, “The Colorado attack has once again highlighted the serious risks our country faces from the entry of foreigners who have not been adequately vetted, and from those who come as temporary visitors and overstay their visas.”
A White House official told CNN that Trump made his final decision to sign the order following the Colorado attack.
The official added that Trump had been considering this decision beforehand, but Sunday’s attack in Colorado accelerated its implementation.
The White House described the new travel ban as fulfilling a campaign promise to “protect Americans from dangerous foreign entities that seek to enter our country and harm us.”
