Showing posts with label Iraq. Show all posts
Nov 21, 2015
US house passes bill to restrict entry of Syrian, Iraqi refugees
Republican-dominated US House of Representatives has overwhelmingly voted to bar Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States over the security concerns.
The bill was overwhelmingly voted by 289 in favour to 137 opposed and bill now needs to be passed by the Senate. It seeks to impose more stringent security provisions on already robust screening of Iraqi and Syrian refugees entering US.
The passage of bill is consider as a major setback for the Obama administration as the US President had opposed such a move and also because a large block of Democratic lawmakers voted in favour of the bill. The bill was also passed amid of threat by President Barack Obama to veto it.
Comment
The passage of Bill by US House of Representatives also follows the barbaric terrorist attacks in Paris (France) on 13 November 2015 by seven Islamic State radicals which left 129 people dead. One of these seven perpetuators is thought to have been a Syrian refugee who entered Europe via Greece along the other refugees.
Earlier in September 2015, Obama administration had announced its plan to resettle around 10,000 Syrian refugees in the US till September 2016.
Since Syrian civil war which began in 2011 to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad regime, millions of Syrians have fled to neighbouring countries and to Europe.
Oct 24, 2015
US President appoints Brett McGurk as Special Envoy to US-led coalition for fighting IS
US President Barack Obama has appointed veteran Iraq expert Brett McGurk as Special Envoy to the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State (IS).
Brett McGurk is a long-time and most trusted White House adviser on Iraq.
He will succeed the retiring General John Allen who had led the global coalition’s campaign against IS militants in Iraq since its inception in 2014.
Key Fact
US-led coalition’s task of toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led government has become more complex since intervention of Russia and Iran.
Since then the US policy on Syria as floundered faced several setbacks, policy reversals and increased regional chaos. President Barack Obama also scrapped a 600 million dollar mission to train Syrian opposition fighters to take on IS.
Brett McGurk is a long-time and most trusted White House adviser on Iraq.
He will succeed the retiring General John Allen who had led the global coalition’s campaign against IS militants in Iraq since its inception in 2014.
Key Fact
US-led coalition’s task of toppling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad led government has become more complex since intervention of Russia and Iran.
Since then the US policy on Syria as floundered faced several setbacks, policy reversals and increased regional chaos. President Barack Obama also scrapped a 600 million dollar mission to train Syrian opposition fighters to take on IS.
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