Admin l Monday, March 06, 2017
WASHINGTON, United States -President Donald Trump of the United States today signed another executive order, the second in three months to protect Americans against terrorism
Speaking on the order, Secretary of State, Rex W. Tillerson executive order signed by the President earlier today, Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, is a vital measure for strengthening our national security.
“It is the President’s solemn duty to protect the American people. And with this order, President Trump is exercising his rightful authority to keep our people safe”, he said.
He explained that as threats to U.S security continues to evolve and change, common sense dictates that the country continually re-evaluate and re-assess the systems relied upon to protect the country.
“While no system can be made completely infallible, the American people can have high confidence we are identifying ways to improve the vetting process and thus keep terrorists from entering our country.
“To our allies and partners around the world: Please understand this order is part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate vulnerabilities that radical Islamist terrorists can and will exploit for destructive ends”, he said, adding that the State Department will coordinate with other federal agencies and implement temporary restrictions in an orderly manner.
“Our embassies and consulates around the world will play an important role in making sure that our nation is as secure as it can be.
“And the State Department will implement the provisions in this order that allow for the admissions of refugees when it is determined they do not pose a risk to the security or welfare of the United States”, he said.
According to him, upon the President’s initial executive order issued on January the 27th, the State Department’s Consular Affairs and Diplomatic Security offices immediately undertook a review, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, to identify additional measures that would strengthen vetting of those seeking entry to the United States from seven named countries.
“These early efforts were concentrated on Iraq. Iraq is an important ally in the fight to defeat ISIS, with their brave soldiers fighting in close coordination with America’s men and women in uniform.
“This intense review over the past month identified multiple security measures that the State Department and the Government of Iraq will be implementing to achieve our shared objective of preventing those with criminal or terroristic intent from reaching the United States”, he said.
He expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister al-Abadi of Iraq for his positive engagement and support for implementing these actions.
“The United States welcomes this kind of close cooperation with countries in every region of the world who share our commitment to national security. This revised order will bolster the security of the United States and her allies.
“Now, we’ve spent the morning briefing the Congress, the press, and we will continue to talk with key stakeholders this afternoon. Experts from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the State Department hosted an hour-long call with the media on this topic this morning. Our collective teams will continue throughout the day to follow up with the Congress, the media, and stakeholders to answer your questions”, he said.
