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The Middle East’s Reaction to President Donald Trump’s Travel Ban

On 27 January, the US president Donald Trump signs an executive order, entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”, which places 90-day bans on arrivals from seven Muslim-majority countries: Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, and suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days. Trump has said his travel ban is designed to reduce the risk of terror attacks in the US.

Iran has issued a strong statement condemning Trump’s executive order and has warned that it will take legal, political and reciprocal measures. The country’s foreign minister, Javad Zarif, warned the ban will only “serve as a great gift to extremists and their supporters.” Iran’s ministry said that the decision by the US government to impose restrictions on the travel of Muslims to the US “though temporarily for three months – is a clear insult to the Islamic world, and especially to the great nation of Iran.” Iran have said they will take “reciprocal measures in order to safeguard the rights of its citizens until the time of the removal of the insulting restrictions of the United States against Iranian nationals.”

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry expressed its “regret and astonishment” over the ban, saying it was unfortunate the decision had been made, despite the two nations achieving victories in their joint fight against IS. “The decision by the US is arbitrary”, Intisar al-Jabbouri, a member of parliament from northern Iraq said. “The Iraqi government has the right to reciprocate.” A reciprocal ban could impact American aid workers as well as contractors and journalists currently working in the nation. Additionally, some 5000 US military personnel aiding in the fight against IS could be affected. A senior analyst at the Institute for the Study of War said, “if Iraq were to ban US citizens from travelling to Iraq, it would have devastating consequences for our fight against IS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations.”

Syria has yet to release an official response, however state-run SANA media has highlighted international criticism of the ban.

Saudi Arabia has not publicly taken a position on the ban, however, its national airline, Saudi Arilines, released a statement saying citizens from the seven affected countries “will not be permitted to travel with Saudi Airlines.”

Turkey’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mehmet Simsek, said refugees are welcome in Turkey. He tweeted “we’d happily welcome global talent not allowed back into USA.”

Yemen’s Saudi-allied government released a statement saying that Trump’s ban supports radicals. The foreign ministry said, “We resent the US ban… such decisions support the stance of extremists and sow divisions.” Authorities controlled by the Iran-allied Houthi group said attempts to “classify Yemen or its citizens as a possible source of terrorism are illegal and illegitimate.” A statement from the Yemeni Embassy in Cairo said the US is now unfairly barring citizens fleeing a country where US forces are engaged in a fierce fight against terror.

Donald Trump Protests Attract Millions Across the US and the World

Over the past weekend, millions of protesters took to the streets of cities in the United States and around the world to rally against the new US President Donald Trump.

Larger numbers of demonstrators than expected turned out for the more than 600 rallies that were held worldwide. The aim was principally to highlight omen’s rights, which activists believe to be under threat from the new administration.

The biggest rally held in the US was in the capital Washington, where city officials estimated that more than 500,000 people attended the protest. This figure far exceeded the 200,000 that had been originally expected by organizers of the Women’s March on Washington. By most estimates, it also surpassed the crowd at Friday’s presidential inauguration. The protesters in the nation’s capital heard speeches from actresses Scarlet Johansson, America Ferrera, as well as from Ashley Judd, Gloria Steinem and Michale Moore, amongst others. A planned march to the White House proved impossible as the entire route was filled with demonstrators.

Large crowds were also reported at other US protests. So many turned out in Chicago – some 150,000 – that a planned march had to called off and the event declared a rally. Streets were also overflowing in Los Angeles. Huge crowds were also reported in New York, Seattle, Boston and Miami, some of the venues for about 300 nationwide protests.

Globally, protests were also held. Organizers of a London rally stated that between 80,000 and 100,000 people had taken part there. Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Bristol were amongst the other UK cities that held protests. Anti-Trump marches took place earlier in Australia, New Zealand and in several Asian cities. Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Geneva, Budapest, Prague, Paris and Berlin were among the European cities that took part.

Meanwhile, President Trump used his first full day in office to visit the CIA’s headquarters, where he said that he was “1,000%” behind the spy agency’s employees. He began the day with an inter-faith service at Washington National Cathedral before arriving at the CIA’s headquarters in Langley, Virginia. During the election campaign, Mr Trump had sharply criticized the intelligence agencies over their stance on alleged Russian involvement in the presidential election. He also accused the media of being dishonest in its reporting of the size of the crowd at his inauguration on 20 January. The newly sworn in president however did not refer to Saturday’s protests.

The president’s team has also been quick to overhaul the White House website, with the revamp replacing Barack Obama’s policies with Mr Trump’s new agenda. The new administration lists only six issues on the website: energy, foreign police, jobs and growth, military, law enforcement and trade deals. Critics have complained that it made no mention of civil rights, healthcare, climate change or LGBT rights.

US Bombed Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen in 2016

According to an analysis of American strikes around the world, in 2016, the United States dropped an average of 72 bombs every day – the equivalent of three an hour. The report, which was released by the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR), comes as President Barack Obama finishes up his presidency – one that began with promises to withdraw from international conflicts.

According to the New York City-based think tank, 26,171 bombs were dropped on Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, Somali and Pakistan during last year, with the CFR warning that its estimates were “undoubtedly low, considering reliable date is only available for airstrikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somali and Libya, and a single ‘strike,’ according to the Pentagon’s definition, can involve multiple bombs or munitions.”

The CFR has reported that 24,287 bombs wee used in Iraq and Syria, where the US is helping drive Islamic State (IS) militants from swaths of both countries. According to the CFR, in 2015, the US dropped 22,110 bombs in Iraq and Syria. Last year also saw a sharp rise in strikes in Afghanistan, with 1,337 being recorded, compared with 947 in 2015. The study, which compiled data from a number of military and press sources, also indicated that three bombs were dropped in Pakistan last year; 14 in Somalia; and 34 in Yemen. A similar study in 2015 indicated that 11 bombs had been dropped in Pakistan during that year; 58 in Yemen; and 18 in Somalia. The 2015 analysis did not include Libya.

French Military to Boost Defences Against Cyber Attacks

The French defense minister announced this month that France is no less vulnerable than the United States to cyber attacks from foreign countries, adding hat the military will boost its resources in order to defend against them.

During an interview with French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche, Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian stated that there is a real risk of cyber attacks on French civil infrastructure such as water, electricity, telecommunications and transport as well as against French democracy and the media. The statement comes as US intelligence agencies released a report indicating that Russian President Vladimir Putin had directed a cyber campaign to help Republican Donald Trump’s electoral chances by discrediting Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential campaign. When asked whether France was immune from such attacks, Le Drian stated “no, of course not, we should not be naïve.” He went on to say that if the US election had indeed been manipulated, it would be an unbearable interference, as targeting a country’s electoral means attacking its democratic foundations and its sovereignty.

France has been affected by cyber attacks as in April 2015, hackers knocked French TV station TV5Monde off the air. French judicial sources later disclosed that Russian hackers linked to the Kremlin could have been behind the attack. France has now said that in 2016, it was the subject of 24,000 cyber attacks against defense targets and according to Le Drian, such attacks were doubling every year, noting that thousands of external attacks had been blocked, including attempts at disrupting France’s drone systems.

France will hold presidential elections in April – May. Leading conservative challenger Francois Fillon has stated that he wants to improve relations with Russia. He has in the past been praised by the Russian leader. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen also favours closer relations with Russia. However French-Russian relations have been strained by Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 and over Russia’s role in the war in Syria. Furthermore, outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande has cancelled the sale of warships to Russia. He also played a key role in imposing sanctions on Russia over Crimea.

US Presidential Election: Inauguration Day

Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45^th President of the United States of America on 20 January. Here is a look at Inauguration Day (All timings UK times).

19 January

• Wreath-laying Ceremony: Mr Trump will attend the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, in Virginia, expected to begin at 8:30 PM.
• Welcome Concert: The concert at Lincoln Memorial marks the official kick-off to the inaugural events. Mr Trump and his vice-President, Mike Pence, are expected to make an appearance. The concert is expected to begin at 9 PM.

20 January

• Morning Prayer: Traditionally, the day begins with a prayer, which for some presidents took place at the St John’s Episcopal Church, located across the street from the White House. This event is expected to occur at around 1:30 PM.
• White House Meeting: Mr Trump and Barack Obama will have a meeting at the White House, which is a customary courtesy from the outgoing president to the incoming one. The outgoing president leaves a brief note for his successor. Mr Obama has vowed to help Mr Trump achieve a smooth transition of power.
• Swearing-in Ceremony: Mr Trump, accompanied by his family, is expected to be sworn into office at 5 PM by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts Jr in the ceremony in front of the US Capitol building.
• The oath: “I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States.”
• Attending: Hundreds of thousands will attend the ceremony, including former presidents, the diplomatic corps and invited guests. Defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton will attend along with her husband, former president Bill Clinton. Mr Obama will attend the ceremony and will then leave by helicopter.
• Inaugural Address: After being sworn-in, Mr Trump will deliver his first presidential address.
• Inaugural Parade: At the end of the swearing-in ceremony, the parade will proceed from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. This is expected to start at 8 PM.
• Inaugural Ball: The day ends with a series of inaugural balls across Washington DC. The two main balls will be held at the Walter E Washington Convention Centre, and one at the National Building Museum. Mr Trump and the First Lady are expected to make an appearance.
• Protests: Almost two dozens group s have applied for permits for protests on or around Mr Trumps’ inauguration, ranging from anti-war associations to anarchists. The Women’s Mach, which is expected to gather some 200,000 people, is scheduled near the Capitol Building on 21 January.