7 March 2017, 18:28 GMT
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Iraq has been excluded from the revised version of President Donald Trump’s travel ban because of the country’s efforts to fight Daesh and better vetting of travellers, US Department of State spokesperson Mark Toner said in a briefing.
"I think both [reasons played a role]," Toner said on Tuesday when asked about the two factors affecting Trump’s decision.
On Monday, Trump signed a new executive order on immigration that blocks individuals from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, as well as suspends the Refugees Admissions program for the next 120 days. Unlike the first order signed in January and suspended by a court in February, Iraqi nationals are not included in the new ban which applies to citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
