Iraqi MPs call for US entry ban as translators condemn 'betrayal'
Source: The Guardian
Iraqi MPs call for US entry ban as translators condemn 'betrayal'
Iraqis who worked alongside US troops and now fear for their safety
say they feel abandoned by Trump administration
Martin Chulov
Monday 30 January 2017 16.25 GMT
Iraqs parliament has recommended a ban on Americans entering the country in response to Donald Trumps move to suspend US visas for its citizens, as would-be refugees pleaded for Trumps decision to be overturned.
The recommendation does not appear to be binding on the Iraqi government, which is allied with Washington in the fight against Islamic State. However, it inflames a strong anti-US sentiment already present in Iraq, creating uncertainty for US aid workers, contractors and journalists who regularly travel there.
Isis has welcomed the US travel ban, with several of its members claiming on social media over the weekend that it would pit US-based Muslims against the Trump administration and fuel discord across the Islamic world.
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Iraqi translators who have worked alongside US troops are among those caught up in the travel ban. Two former translators said they saw the move as a betrayal, and said family members had warned them not to trust the US government.
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Read more:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/30/iraqi-mps-call-for-us-entry-ban-as-translators-condemn-betrayal