Many people are wondering why suspend visas relating to travel from: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Why those countries specifically? What’s this all about.
The answer to that question and many other questions surrounding the recent executive actions of President Trump can be answered deliberately by looking forward, not backward.
Due mostly to the action of Russia, Islamic extremism is currently in retreating position from Syria. In the weeks and months to come, radical Islamic extremists of various factions will be facing even more defeats as their strongholds are recaptured. In addition to their current geographic locations, where will the extremist elements go in retreat? Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
Do not forget that between the November 8th, 2016 election and the January 27th, 2017 signing of these executive actions, President Trump and the incoming security/intelligence apparatus have been in contact with mid-east envoys who historically understand the predictable fall-back plans of the violent extremists within the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood is the political face of the various extremist factions. International partners for the U.S. including King Abdullah (Jordan), Fattah Abdel el-Sisi (Egypt), and Benjamin Netanyahu (Israel), hold a time-tested understanding of where the extremist elements within Islam exist and where their moves can be predicted.
You might remember how fluid the extremist elements were in their travels from Afghanistan (Iman al-Zawahiri’s al-Qaeda leadership), into Egypt (Mohammed al-Zawahiri – Brotherhood leadership), and then into Libya (Hillary’s “rebels”) and Syria (al-Nusra – McCain’s “rebels”) during the activity from 2010 through today.
The trails used by these extremist elements are well traveled, often predictable, and ultimately connected to ebbs and flows from their home region and network of support. The origin of many extremist travels begin in: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.
♦ BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND – If a larger regional plan is going to defeat the extremist elements with the use of regional allies who know these affiliates best; and with General James Mattis at the tip of the spear; the forward review becomes a matter of simple pragmatic security precautions on visa suspensions from the areas of greatest concern.
As a member of the Trump national security transition team James Carafano outlined:
[…] As the space for the Islamic State, or ISIS, gets squeezed in the Middle East, the remains of the tens of thousands of foreign fighters will have to flow somewhere. Every nation, not just the U.S., believes they are most likely to flow to the countries cited in the order. That fact, and only that fact, is why those countries are included on the list. Indeed, when it comes to visa-vetting, that’s why the European Union has restrictions that are comparable to the United States. (link)
President Trump is simply being pragmatic. He understands that when these extremists start losing they will fall back, regroup and lash out. The suspension of visa approvals from the predictable extremist territory they will occupy in retreat is simply Trump trying to protect the U.S. from the consequence of the extremist defeat.
Remember, President Trump already outlined what and why during his September 7th 2016 speech in Philadelphia when he outlined the strategy for Peace through Strength:
(TRANSCRIPT) […] In a Trump Administration, our actions in the Middle East will be tempered by realism. The current strategy of toppling regimes, with no plan for what to do the day after, only produces power vacuums that are filled by terrorists.
Gradual reform, not sudden and radical change, should be our guiding objective in that region.
We should work with any country that shares our goal of destroying ISIS and defeating Radical Islamic terrorism, and form new friendships and partnerships based on this mission. We now have an Administration, and a former Secretary of State, who refuse to say Radical Islamic Terrorism.
Immediately after taking office, I will ask my generals to present to me a plan within 30 days to defeat and destroy ISIS.
This will require military warfare, but also cyber warfare, financial warfare, and ideological warfare – as I laid out in my speech on defeating Radical Islamic terrorism several weeks ago.
Instead of an apology tour, I will proudly promote our system of government and our way of life as the best in the world – just like we did in our campaign against communism during the Cold War.
We will show the whole world how proud we are to be American.
At the same time, immigration security is a vital part of our national security.
We only want to admit people to our country who will support our values and love our people.
These are the pillars of a sound national security strategy. (continue reading)
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