Trump is commonly vilified for his so-called “Muslim ban,” however there is no such thing as a such ban. Government Order 13769, entitled “Defending the Nation from International Terrorist Entry into america,” imposes a 90-day suspension of entry for people from seven nations (Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen) terrorism.
A few of these nations are the place American troopers and ships are at present underneath assault. The order doesn’t have an effect on nationals of 43 different Muslim-majority nations. Trump is correct to acknowledge the threats these seven nations pose to U.S. safety.
Sudan was faraway from the U.S. listing of state sponsors of terrorism in 2020, however on the time Government Order 13769 was issued, Sudan had a historical past of harboring teams corresponding to Al Qaeda.
As we speak, Sudan teeters on the sting of defeat on account of ongoing conflicts between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Fast Help Forces (RSF).
This violence brought on widespread destruction, financial collapse, and displacement, additional weakening the federal government’s authority.
Sudan’s instability leaves it susceptible to assaults by extremist teams within the Sahel and North Africa, who might exploit the chaos to gas terrorism within the area.
Yemen, residence to al-Qaida within the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has lengthy been a terrorism hotspot, with the group utilizing the continued civil battle to ramp up its operations. AQAP and the Iran-backed Houthis each play key roles within the battle.
Designated a terrorist group by a number of nations and backed by Iran, the Houthis have launched missile and drone assaults in opposition to Saudi and U.S. pursuits, linking their actions to Iran’s broader regional technique (as seen on this report (talked about within the Iran part).
Iran is designated as a significant state sponsor of terrorism, offering intensive help to teams corresponding to Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis and militias throughout the Center East, significantly in Iraq and Syria.
This help contains not solely monetary help but additionally weapons, coaching, and strategic steerage to allow these teams to conduct assaults on U.S. pursuits. Between October 2023 and February 4, 2024, Iranian-backed teams, with help from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), launched greater than 60 assaults on U.S. personnel in Iraq.
In Yemen, Iran has offered army help to the Houthis, together with drones and missiles, which have been used to focus on U.S. ships in Saudi Arabia and the Crimson Sea, threatening international transport. Iranian leaders corresponding to Khamenei usually promote anti-American rhetoric and sometimes shout “Loss of life to America” ​​at state-sponsored rallies.
Libya has been mired in chaos because the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, creating an influence vacuum that has been exploited by militant teams corresponding to ISIS and al-Qaeda associates.
In 2015, the “Islamic State” established a stronghold in Sirte, aiming to determine a base after its defeat in Iraq and Syria.
Though the Libyan military, with help from the U.S. air power, retook Sirte in 2016, ISIS has regrouped within the desert area and continues to hold out guerrilla assaults, such because the Might 2020 assault on the Libyan Nationwide Military (LNA).
Al Qaeda within the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and different militants stay entrenched in southern Libya, utilizing the world to function, elevate funds via smuggling and transport weapons throughout North Africa.
They focused Westerners for kidnappings, together with Americans. The unstable state of affairs in Libya has additionally made it a transit hub for weapons and militants, exacerbating conflicts within the Sahel area and different areas, and threatening U.S. allies and international safety.
Somalia is residence to al-Shabaab, a robust terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda. Al-Shabaab usually makes use of suicide bombings, vehicle-borne explosives and coordinated assaults to assault army and civilian targets.
One of many deadliest assaults occurred in October 2017, once they bombed Mogadishu, killing greater than 500 folks. In 2022, the group additionally claimed accountability for the assault on the Hayat Lodge in Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab controls rural areas in southern and central Somalia, working coaching camps, recruiting fighters and taxing locals to fund its operations.
In these strongholds, the group has focused and destabilized Somali army and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) personnel. Al-Shabaab’s affect extends past Somalia, finishing up assaults in Kenya such because the 2013 Westgate shopping center assault and the 2015 Garissa College bloodbath that killed almost 150 college students.
These assaults underscore its regional menace and talent to destabilize East Africa, posing a problem to the pursuits of america and its allies.
Syria is a delegated state sponsor of terrorism and stays a significant battleground for extremist teams such because the Islamic State and al-Qaeda associates.
Though the Islamic State caliphate collapsed in 2019, the group has continued to launch rebel assaults, significantly within the desert areas of japanese Syria. ISIS has targeted on ambushes, bombings and hit-and-run assaults, corresponding to an ambush on a tanker convoy in February 2021 that killed greater than 30 Syrian troopers and civilians.
Al-Qaeda-linked teams, significantly Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), dominate northwestern Syria, particularly Idlib province.
Whereas HTS has shifted its focus to native governance, it continues to make use of drone strikes and bombings to focus on Syrian forces and adversaries, clashing with Russian and Syrian forces.
In September 2022, HTS demonstrated its continued army capabilities by killing 5 Syrian troopers in Hama. Smaller al-Qaeda-affiliated teams corresponding to Houras al-Din have additionally emerged, complicating the safety state of affairs by concentrating on Syrian army convoys and assassinating rival fighters and leaders.
All seven nations designated by Government Order 13769 have been linked to terrorism and proceed to pose a menace to america.
This raises the query: Why are Democrats and liberals opposing the order and pushing for extra folks from these nations to enter the U.S.
