In a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, more than 130 foreign policy experts have said the revised travel ban, though improved in some areas, would harm United States’ national security interests.
The 134 signatories included some of the top experts who served in Democratic and Republican administrations, argue that the March 6, 2017 executive order halting refugee resettlement and suspending visa issuance and travel from six Muslim-majority countries will “weaken U.S. national security and undermine U.S. global leadership.”
The Trump Administration, meanwhile, has defended the pared down version of the executive order, saying it is not a Muslim ban and temporarily halts new arrivals and refugees from countries not being able to share information with the United States.
The group of former diplomats and experts including R Nicholas Burns, former National Security Council member under Clinton and counterterrorism coordinator under Bush, and John E. McLaughlin, the deputy CIA director for Clinton and acting CIA director for Bush, and former secretaries of state Madeline Albright and John Kerry, says the U.S. must take all prudent and effective steps to combat national security threats including the appropriate vetting of travelers.
However, they point out that the executive order will affect the U.S. goal of getting counterterrorism cooperation and information-sharing from allies.
“To Muslims— including those victimized by or fighting against ISIS—it will send a message that reinforces the propaganda of ISIS and other extremist groups, that falsely claim the United States is at war with Islam. Welcoming Muslim refugees and travelers, by contrast, exposes the lies of terrorists and counters their warped vision.”
The letter welcomes exclusion of Iraq from the list of countries subject to travel restrictions. The countries include Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
“We welcome the removal of Iraq from the 90-day travel ban, but we remain concerned that the Iraqis who risked their lives to work with the U.S. military, U.S. government and other U.S. organizations will be left in harm’s way for even longer due to the order’s 120-day suspension of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and overall reduction in refugee admissions.”
The executive order is part of the Trump Administration’s policy to combat terror threat and streamline immigration from areas where security has been compromised by terrorism. But, like the original order, it is also likely to face court challenges.
“Bans like those included in this order are harmful to U.S. national security and beneath the dignity of our great nation,” experts say, demanding that the United States should ensure any vetting enhancements are necessary, non-discriminatory and otherwise consistent with the U.S. Constitution.
Featured Image on the top shows a plane queue at JFK airport in New York, Photo by Giorgio Montersino via Wikimedia Commons
