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U.S. NEWS A3
Wednesday 9 December
Trump Rejects Criticism of His Proposal to Ban Muslims
Continued from front have proposed restrictions At a news conference following a closed-door GOP caucus meeting, Speaker of the House
on refugees and tighter Paul Ryan, R-Wis., dismissed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s comments on
Trump, who appears to surveillance in the U.S. But Muslims, saying such views are “not what this party stands for and more importantly it’s not what
revel in the attention, Trump’s proposal goes far this country stands for,” at the Republican National Headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington,
didn’t back down from his further, prompting a new Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015.
proposal Tuesday, saying round of criticism.
that banning Muslims “until Sen. Lindsey Graham said (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
our country’s representa- Trump’s rhetoric risked in-
tives can figure out what flaming tensions in the
the hell is going on” is war- Middle East, playing into
ranted after last month’s the recruiting strategy of
attacks by Muslim extrem- Islamic State militants, who
ists in Paris and last week’s have framed their battle as
shootings in San Bernardi- a war between Islam and
no, California. the West.
“I don’t care about them,” “He’s putting our soldiers
Trump told CNN Tuesday and diplomats at risk, he’s
in a telephone interview, empowering the enemy,”
when asked about de- said Graham, another
nunciation by Republican Republican presidential
leaders. He said the coun- contender, in an interview
try needs to recognize that with CNN. Trump, he said,
it’s at war. is making new enemies of
Trump’s proposed ban people “who came to our
would apply to immigrants side in Iraq and Afghani-
and visitors alike, a sweep- stan and who are under
ing prohibition affecting siege in their own coun-
adherents of a religion tries.”
practiced by more than a Former Florida Gov. Jeb
billion people worldwide. Bush, another Trump rival,
Trump clarified in a round suggested Trump’s com-
of television interviews ments were helping violent
Tuesday that his proposed extremists gain strength.
ban would not apply to “They want us to margin-
American citizens travel- alize Muslims so that they
ing abroad and would move in their direction,
allow exemptions for cer- rather than in ours.”
tain people, including the Homeland Security Sec-
leaders of Middle Eastern retary Jeh Johnson also
countries and athletes for weighed in, telling MSNBC:
certain sporting events. “I believe that it’s the re-
However, not specified in sponsibility of those of us in
his list of exemptions, for national security and
example, are Pakistani ac- homeland security, when
tivist Malala Yousafzai and a leading candidate for
the four civil society groups office proposes something
that led Tunisia’s transition that is irresponsible, proba-
to democracy — all Muslim bly illegal, unconstitutional,
Nobel Peace Prize winners. and contrary to interna-
Since the Nov. 13 attacks in tional law, un-American,
Paris that killed 130 people and will actually hurt our
and wounded hundreds, efforts at homeland secu-
some other Republican rity and national security,
presidential contenders we have to speak out.”q
House tightens controls
on visa-free travel to US
ERICA WERNER at the “visa waiver” pro-
Associated Press gram that allows citizens
WASHINGTON (AP) — Driv- of 38 countries to travel to
en by the Paris terror at- the U.S. for stays of 90 days
tacks, the House voted and less without first obtain-
overwhelmingly Tuesday to ing a visa from an embassy
tighten controls on travel to or consulate. Belgium and
the U.S. and require visas France, home to most of
for anyone who’s been in the perpetrators of last
Iraq or Syria in the previous month’s Paris attacks, are
five years. among the participating
The legislation takes aim countries. q
