The Trump immigration policy the most salient counter terrorism initiative.

I had arrived back into Australia over the weekend after spending some time in the Mid West of the United States with my wife. During my visit, the Trump administration had been in office for less than a week and in that time an Executive Order was initiated for the United States immigration policy known as the Executive Order: Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.

"Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq., and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and to protect the American people from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals admitted to the United States." 1

Whilst, I had glanced up at the welcome to the United States sign with a picture of the United States President Barack Obama still smiling invitingly down at me at the escalator, I was processed and had my Australian passport stamped along with my Transportation Security Authority (TSA) approval, with minimal delay. I soon realised that the regime change would come into effect on the Friday and as an Australian I would not be affected.

Whilst in Indianapolis, news reports of a distraught Iranian brother of a man whom had been refused entry into the United States was broadcasted across the television, which was due, directly, to the recent Presidential Executive Order abovementioned. Another story, of a Syrian traveler's story, soon the negative story of the US government ban seemed to continue the negative international reputation of the newly inaugurated Presidential administration straight off the bat.

However, in a immigration reciprocity perspective, of the seven countries in which the United States government has recently imposed immigration entry restrictions into the United States, the seven restricted nations of Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Somalia,Sudan and Libya, have imposed immigration bans on Israeli citizens and passport holders.2

The United States government response is considered in a reciprocated light when reciprocation of Nationals like the Israeli citizens and passport holders from some sixteen countries throughout the world, including the seven countries that are presently considered affected by the recent POTUS immigration policy executive order ban aforementioned.3

Meanwhile, as I was returning to Australia, the United States government through the court system, had repealed the travel ban by the POTUS which seemed to be universally justified from a human rights perspective but not from a reciprocated perspective especially from a Israeli perspective.

From a counter terrorism and National Security Strategic and operational perspective, the propaganda against global terrorism has been given a most direct action response by a more assertive cut to the chase Presidential approach putting on notice multicultural and multiracial tolerances within many countries.

The inadvertent ban on Muslims, from the aforementioned listed seven countries, is premised, directly, upon the likely religiously related violence, which is stipulated, succinctly, within the POTUS executive order on the present seven nation list.

From an Australian perspective, the about face humanitarian approach by the Trump administration of the Australian processed refugee relocation bilateral agreement into the United States has hit a Trump wall roadblock. It may be considered a more draconian xenophobic approach which may be considered understandable from a country now intolerant of the persistent and consistent occurrences of terrorism related violence and incidence within the United States and affecting Americans citizens abroad.

The Trump administration has been broadly accepted by the populist mainstream with an overt 49% approval of the Trump banning of the seven nations list.

Australia may emulate such a restriction which may be considered a mutual response to such nations which imposes bans on certain nationals from entering their respective countries as well. In such a perspective reciprocity is considered reasonable.


Tim Tufuga

9th February, 2017.

Source:

1. The White House, The Briefing Room, Executive Order: INA, 8 U.S.C 1101 section 301 of title 301, US Code, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/27/executive-order-protecting-nation-foreign-terrorist-entry-united-states, 27th January, 2017.

2. Haynes, G, United Kingdom The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/articles/most-countries-on-trumps-list-also-ban-visitors-based-on-nationality/, 31st January, 2017.

3. Dr. Sweir, R., http://drrichswier.com/2017/01/30/sixteen-countries-ban-anyone-with-a-passport-with-an-israeli-stamp-or-visa-from-entering/

4. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/airlines-board-nationals-barred-muslim-ban-170204091834947.html