Washington - Countries targeted under a new US travel ban passed by President Donald Trump have attacked the move, along with the United Nations. On Monday, President Trump signed a new executive order placing a 90-day ban on people from six mainly Muslim nations. The order was presented as a means to strengthen US national security against terror threats. On Tuesday however, two of the countries, Sudan and Somalia, said the move was unjustified. The directive, which includes a 120-day ban on all refugees, takes effect on 16 March. It follows a previous order, which was blocked by a federal court, that sparked confusion at airports and mass protests. Citizens of Iran, Libya, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, six of the countries on the original 27 January order, are again subject to a 90-day travel ban. Iraq has been taken off the list because its government has boosted visa screening and data sharing, the White House said. Refugees already approved by the State Department can enter the US. An indefinite ban on all Syrian refugees is also lifted. Green Card holders (legal permanent residents of the US) from the named countries will not be affected. Priority is not given to religious minorities, unlike the previous directive. "The fact remains that we are not immune to terrorist threats and that our enemies often use our own freedoms and generosity against us," Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said on Monday.(FA)
