Iraq welcomes removal from US ‘Muslim ban’ list

The Iraqi foreign ministry expressed “deep relief” at US President Donald Trump’s decision to remove Iraq from a list of countries targeted by the “Muslim ban”.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ahmad Jamal, described the move as “an important step in the right direction, it consolidates the strategic alliance between Baghdad and Washington in many fields, at its forefront the war on terrorism.”

Read: With the Muslim ban, Trump poses a threat to the US constitution

Trump signed a new executive order yesterday banning travel to the United States by citizens of six Muslim-majority nations after his controversial first attempt was blocked in the courts. The countries affected by the new legislation are Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.

A White House source said that Iraq was removed from the original list because the Iraqi government has imposed new screening procedures, such as increased control over visas and exchange of data as well as enhanced cooperation with the United States in the fight against Daesh.