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Iraqi lawmakers urge government to respond to U.S. travel ban

Xinhua, January 30, 2017 Adjust font size:

Iraqi lawmakers urged the Iraqi government on Sunday to take counter-measures against the latest restrictions by U.S. President Donald Trump on the entry of the nationals of seven Muslim countries, including Iraq, into the United States.

Some members of the Iraqi parliament rejected the decision of the new U.S. president, saying Iraq should retaliate by barring U.S. nationals from entering Iraq.

"We reject the decision of President Trump as Iraq is on the front line of fighting terrorism, and we are the side who gives martyrs and sacrifices for a war that we fight on behalf of the whole world," said Hanan al-Fatlawi, a female member of the parliament's foreign affairs committee.

"It is unfair that Iraqis are treated in this way," she said at a press conference after a committee meeting to discuss the U.S. decision.

"We ask the Iraqi government to take a similar action against the United States' decision," she said, adding that the parliament committee demanded the Iraqi Foreign Ministry contact the U.S. government for review of their decision.

"Iraq is a sovereign country and will be forced to reciprocate, and that would affect negatively cooperation, including military cooperation in the war on Islamic State (IS) group," said Ahmed al-Jubouri, another lawmaker from the committee.

On Twitter, the Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr also condemned Trump's decision, calling it "Istikbar (arrogance)."

Ahmed al-Asadi, spokesman of the predominantly Shiite Hashd Shaabi units, said in a statement that Iraq should "bar American nationals from entering Iraq and exile those who are inside Iraq."

The Iraqi government declined to comment on the U.S. decision, but Trump's order has caused fury in Iraq, where more than 5,000 U.S. troops are deployed to help Iraqi forces in battles against IS militants in Mosul in northern Iraq.

On Friday, Trump put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the United States and temporarily barred travellers from Iraq and six other Muslim countries, saying the moves would help protect Americans from terrorist attacks. Endit