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FactFind: Is Donald Trump's travel ban 'similar to what Obama did'?

We take a look at what actually happened in 2011.

Trump US President Donald Trump signs an executive order in the White House. AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Pablo Martinez Monsivais

In this new series from TheJournal.ie, we answer YOUR questions and bring you the information that you told us you need to know around a topical issue.

Today: What exactly was the story with Obama’s ‘ban’ – and is it ‘similar’ to Trump’s latest manoeuvre?

DONALD TRUMP’S EXECUTIVE order to ban US entry for citizens from seven Middle-Eastern countries caused chaos at US airports and headaches for global governments.

The order also indefinitely banned refugees from Syria and, for a temporary period, refugees from anywhere.

Aside from global condemnation, the ban has also led to the sacking of the US acting Attorney General and an extraordinary intervention from former president Barack Obama.

But Trump has remained defiant. In a Facebook post, he claimed that the action was “not a Muslim ban, as the media is falsely reporting”.

This is despite the fact that the seven countries targeted all have Muslim-majority populations and that Trump had campaigned on a promise to ban Muslims from entering the US.

More pointedly, Trump also attempted to link the new policy to Obama in two ways.

He claimed:

My policy is similar to what President Obama did in 2011 when he banned visas for refugees from Iraq for six months. The seven countries named in the executive order are the same countries previously identified by the Obama administration as sources of terror.

As many people have since quoted these lines and some have used them as a defence of Trump’s policy, let’s take a look at exactly what Obama did and whether they are comparable.

What Obama ‘policy’ is Trump citing?

Pictures Of The Week Photo Gallery President Barack Obama and the President-elect Donald Trump shake hands following their meeting in the White House in November 2016. Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP / AP

What Trump is referring to stems from a 2011 case when two Iraqi refugees who were granted asylum in the US were subsequently arrested for terrorism offences.

The fallout from this meant that refugee applications from Iraq were slowed, but did not stop “for six months” as Trump claimed.

In fact, over 9,380 Iraqi refugees were accepted in 2011 with some during each individual month of that year.

The Washington Post also quotes a 2011 congressional hearing in which Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was asked if “a hold” had been placed on Iraqi visa applications.

Napolitano said that this was not necessarily the case but that applications went through extra stages of vetting that slowed the process.

“No one will be resettled without going through the same sort of vet. Now I don’t know if that equates to a hold,” Napolitano said.

No, it’s not the same thing

It therefore means that Obama’s policy was different to Trump’s in that it did not constitute a ban or hold, merely extra layers of checks.

It is also noteworthy that the change in Obama’s policy was in response to a specific event. Namely, the arrest of the Iraqi refugees.

Trump’s policy is not in response to any specific threat or perceived flaw in vetting.

The second part of Trump’s claim states that the seven countries were previously identified by the Obama administration.

That is misleading.

The Republican-led Congress in 2015 voted to require visas and additional security checks for foreign citizens who normally wouldn’t need visas — such as those from the UK — if they had visited the seven countries: Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.

This was included in a large spending bill passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed by Obama.

As the law was enacted, the Obama administration announced that journalists, aid workers and others who travelled to the listed countries for official work could apply for exemptions.

There were no special US travel restrictions on citizens of those seven countries.

- With reporting by Associated Press

Read: Here’s exactly what the Attorney General said before Donald Trump fired her >

Read: Does Ireland have to allow Trump’s migrant ban at its airports? >

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75 Comments
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    Mute cryptoskitzo
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:40 PM

    We know for sure that neither of them added Saudi Arabia to the list, bit strange when you consider that Saudi nationals have killed more Americans on American soil that any other muslim nation has

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    Mute D H
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:46 PM

    But The Donald speaks in alternative facts….it doesnt have to true , it just means that he says its true

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    Mute Monty Wuggy
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:55 PM

    “President Donald Trump and the monarch of the repressive Saudi regime spoke on the phone for more than an hour on Sunday. According to a White House statement, “The two leaders reaffirmed the longstanding friendship and strategic partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia.”

    http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/trump-saudi-king-phone-call-collaboration-iran-syria-yemen#.WJCrJ7niv7E.twitter

    This just underscores how farcical the notion that Donald Trump is going to confront Jihadist terrorism. The Saudi Arabian government for many decades has propagated a vicious, and sectarian form of Islam around the world to the detriment of much of the region and the world. To claim to be an opponent of Jihadism but cosy up to the Saudi government exposes Trump for the pathetic hypocrite he is.

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    Mute Colin Keogh
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:56 PM

    Nothing strange at all they spend billions on US military hardware have have unrivaled influence in oil markets. They also have a lot of money in US banks

    111
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    Mute Jeremy DeChad
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:23 PM

    We are talking about now, not 2001. Now IS is not in SA but it is in Syria and Iraq. Donald probably has specific intelligence that he is not necessarily making public also. The fact of the matter is that this is a democratic decision flagged during the campaign and Donald is keeping his promise to the American people. Maybe it is time for the rest of us to mind our own business and perhaps do something to end the constant wave of terrorism that has come from this same region.

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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:42 PM

    @cryptoskitzo:
    The Saudis can’t be included on the list. They know too much about the Clintons.

    54
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    Mute Matt Beaumont
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:46 PM

    @Jeremy

    So if you only finance 90% of Islamist terrorism and not having your own citizens carry out the atrocities anymore, that’s sound in your opinion?

    33
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    Mute Frank's Cat
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:49 PM

    Are you saying Trump is protecting the Clintons? Lol.

    52
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:58 PM

    Poor Alex. Clutching at straws. Trump is protecting his business interests, nothing more, nothing less.

    44
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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:59 PM

    And we do a bit of business with them.

    16
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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:09 PM

    So protecting business ahead of protecting against terrorism? Little trump is just like all the rest..

    15
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    Mute Patrick Lite
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:12 PM

    Coming to a city near you too…. if the tide if hordes are not stopped. Europe needs a Trump.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ePY25UPJWs

    35
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    Mute aaronmcgrattan
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:45 PM
    3
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    Mute William Grogan
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:51 PM

    SA should be given say 1 year to stop promoting their looney version of Islam around the world and sponsoring terrorism or be invaded.

    21
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    Mute OpenBorders
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    Jan 31st 2017, 9:29 PM

    Ouch, I’ve never seen so much squirming from the Alt-Right trolls here on The Journal, what a slam-dunk of a Fact Check. The truth is like sunlight to a vampire to these deluded fools, it’s glorious to watch!

    19
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    Mute Fionn Bohane
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    Feb 1st 2017, 4:42 AM

    The truth , what truth? Unless you’re in the 1% we really don’t have a clue. We can make informed opinions but the information we’re given is bull.

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    Mute dominic
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    Feb 3rd 2017, 10:09 AM

    Spot on the button!

    1
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    Mute Mahmoud O'Connell
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:52 PM

    Aren’t we great advice to other countries – don’t vote for Trump, and Brexit was an awful decision!! Yet we voted in incompetents and crooks who nearly bankrupted our little country – and, every day, we suffer the consequences…

    141
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    Mute Rad Dawg
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:03 PM

    @Mahmoud O’Connell: who’s “we”?

    27
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    Mute John R
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:17 PM

    Mahmoud actually activity in certain areas in the private sector of the economy nearly bankrupted the State. Subsequent decisions taken by successive Governments didn’t help. Governments are not all powerful. If the financial and construction sectors had not demonstrated profligate and criminal greed we would not be in this position. It is so easy to simply blame Government and to overlook the people actually responsible many of whom suffered no consequences. The lesson must be obvious. Those areas of the private sector that caused our economic calamity were focussed on their own short term gain and need constant evaluation and oversight. But so is politics focussed on short term gain because so are most of the people who vote. We need to look deeper than blaming the people we elect who, surprise surprise, turn out to be just as venial as the rest of us.

    17
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    Mute The_Techno_Mage
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:42 PM

    When entering the US, you need to provide background checks from your own country such as passports, driver license. If you’re a student to the U.S, then you need to give information on previous courses and qualifications.

    This is where the background check information of people entering the U.S comes from. It doesn’t come from the U.S checking itself.

    With a stable nation like Ireland, these background information can be checked and verified.

    However with nations like Somalia which is on the brick of collapse, these information provided cannot be verified. Which in turn makes it easier for extremist groups to hide among refugees.

    97
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    Mute KEV
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:49 PM

    That’s why it takes 3 years to process refugees into the USA.

    55
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    Mute Dennis Laffey
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:51 PM

    @The_Techno_Mage: How about Iran? It’s not unstable. If it were solely a book-keeping exercise then you would not expect Iran to be on the list.

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    Mute The_Techno_Mage
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:54 PM

    @Dennis Laffey: The immigration ban allows for 30 days in which they can decide if more countries can and should be added to the list.

    It is possible that Iran and Saudi Arabia could be also be added.

    33
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    Mute Matt Beaumont
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:28 PM

    Well Iran is already on the list but is not an unstable country like Somalia!
    The point made was if the ban is in place to prevent citizens from unstable countries to enter the US, why is Iran on the list then.

    26
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:59 PM

    Saudi will never be sdded

    15
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:27 PM

    Added

    8
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:42 PM

    Because it was sooo easy to enter the states before!

    3
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    Mute Philip Gerard
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:00 PM

    @The_Techno_Mage: Yah, right, sure, Saudi Arabia will be added. LOL @ dopeyhole.

    3
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 31st 2017, 11:14 PM

    Mage, without looking it up, what 7 countries are on the banned list? Seriously, it’s just seven and you didn’t know Iran was one.

    2
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    Mute OpenBorders
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:38 PM

    Cue whataboutery and truth-denial from the Fake News trolls who support The Great Leader Chairman Trumpf.

    86
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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:40 PM

    Predictable outcome based on technicalities not substance.
    No offence but given the amount of print the Journal has invested in this story they’re hardly going to shoot themselves in the foot on this one now are they.
    An Alternative Viewpoint.

    57
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    Mute OpenBorders
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:46 PM

    Predictable.

    28
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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:58 PM

    Guess that makes me psychic then.

    28
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:33 PM

    Go on then, provide the counter argument. Don’t just throw stones, try to build something. Remember to include substance.

    29
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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:39 PM

    Uber psychic.
    Hi Dave.

    11
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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:54 PM

    Salus populi suprema lex.

    9
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    Mute Jimmyjoe Wallace
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:28 PM

    Yet again, poor Alex. Poor deluded Alex.

    17
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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:36 PM

    @Jimmyjoe Wallace:
    I think you will find that in this instance the deluded are the ones who thought Hillary would be president.
    Which probably includes you Jimmy.

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 31st 2017, 9:03 PM

    So you’ve failed on both the rebuttal and the substance. Fair play

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    Mute Alex Falcone
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    Feb 1st 2017, 2:54 AM

    @Dave O Keeffe:
    Yes Dave, you see what you want to see.
    As usual.

    1
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    Mute Phil O' Meara
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:43 PM

    Today’s latest from Trumpistan…

    37
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    Mute John003
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    Jan 31st 2017, 5:56 PM

    OK Trump’s ban is more severe than that of Obama…..However how about a fact check ….Did supplying weapons to Sunni repels in Syria keep the civil war going for several years…. Did this action by Obama contribute to the refugee problem…..Is this fact or myth

    46
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    Mute H0tt3rBank3r
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:33 PM

    It’s a red herring in this discussion.

    24
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:34 PM

    John, more severe? You’re still not getting it, only one was a ban.

    23
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    Mute Emeralds
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:23 PM

    It’s more similar to Gary Trudeau’s ban on male refugees

    https://www.google.ie/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/23/canada-syrian-refugee-resettlement-plan-no-single-men?client=safari

    Strange how that doesn’t attract any ire

    29
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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:34 PM

    Gary Trudeau?

    17
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    Mute Emeralds
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:06 PM

    Justin! I was thinking of the other one…

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Jan 31st 2017, 9:02 PM

    The pulitzer prize winning cartoonist??

    1
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    Mute Mike
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:04 PM

    Here we are in the world or Orwellian double speak. Thejournal’s “fact find” is more and attempt to obfuscate the truth, that (subjectively though it may be) Trump’s EO is similar to the law made by Obama relating to the visa waiver program. It’s hard to accept by many leftists, but Obama wasn’t a gentle lamb, he did things they are condemning Trump for.

    29
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    Mute Philip Gerard
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:02 PM

    @Mike: It’s not similar in any way as Obama went through congress for a start.

    11
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    Mute Mike
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:03 PM

    @Philip Gerard: Yes it did, now it’s law. Trumps EO is similar to this law.

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    Mute Francis Mc Carthy
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    Jan 31st 2017, 9:42 PM

    @Philip Gerard: Obama as you said went through the correct channels,Trump didn’t,even though he has total control of the two houses..I do wonder what the “emergency” was for such a drastic action? Has the Homeland Security come out with anything ?

    This was the reason for Obama’s legitimate action :

    https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/louisville/press-releases/2011/two-iraqi-nationals-indicted-on-federal-terrorism-charges-in-kentucky

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:48 PM

    Unless the Journal suddenly acquired a load of orange toddlers among its readership, I’d say the Putinbots are up to their usual tricks with the thumbs feature.

    14
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    Mute Mike
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:22 PM

    @Harry Whitehead: Is it difficult to accept that people, however silent may not agree with you? People like you insulting people (in this case the people who anonymously thump up or down) who disagree with you has been done else where recently. You may have many likes on Facebook and your cowardly friends may nod earnestly in agreement as you present your latest virtue signal for them to admire. Alas for you, the anonymous thumbs up/down buttons allow people to “signal” their own feelings without the danger of isolation, bullying or having their personal views mischaracterized. You have insulted a lot of real people by calling them “Putinbots”.

    16
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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:53 PM

    LMAO the thumbs are so wide open to abuse it’s a joke. Lost count of the number of articles where an abundance of comments going one way had an even bigger number of thumbs going the opposite…all the while curiously lacking in a similar ratio of comments agreeing with the thumbs! Are you seriously telling us that the supposedly enormous crowd of Trump/Putin supporters are too terrified to post their own comments? Pull the other one.

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:56 PM

    PS – are you trying to tell us something with the orange?

    1
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    Mute Mike
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:02 PM

    @Harry Whitehead: So it’s a Putin backed conspiracy then, that your dumb comments don’t get enough thumbs up?

    11
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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:08 PM

    No, but it’s odd that my own thumbs often mysteriously fail to get registered, or that a minority of comments which back the Kremlin’s line mysteriously attact more upvotes than the majority which don’t. Please continue with the strawmen though

    1
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    Mute Mike
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    Jan 31st 2017, 10:32 PM

    @Harry Whitehead: You got no strawman argument from me. If you have seen your thumbs up fail to register maybe you should try up thumbing comments other than your own;-) Seriously though, if that is happening it’s bodes badly for this site as it means that manipulation could be happening.

    It is not however mysterious if a minority of comments that take an opposing view to yours get more thumbs up. If for instance your opinions (which I believe are held by a good many in the media and political class who would be active on platforms such as this) are based on very shaky ground are countenanced by the minority opinion (as there is less of us who are vocal) who have presented well thought out and factually balanced arguments, then it is unsurprising when we win the battle of the thumbs for the open minded reader. We simply have better arguments.

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    Mute Fionn Bohane
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    Feb 1st 2017, 4:56 AM

    I actually have to agree with Harry here , a lot of my thumbs up or down don’t get registered, if I switch from my phone to my laptop the number of thumbs are different.

    1
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    Mute Mike
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    Feb 1st 2017, 12:30 PM

    @Fionn Bohane: I’m not going to defend thejournal on this! Is there a fourm somewhere where these problems can be brought to light. These comments will be forgotten quickly. It’s very bad in my opinion if the appearance of manipulation exists in the comments here. It’s the only reason I and others come here.

    1
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    Mute Fionn Bohane
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    Feb 1st 2017, 12:41 PM

    Mike , I never thought of it as a manipulation before. Sometimes I thumb a comment and the green box flashes green but it’s not counted in the number other times it’d go up and you come back after and its gone back down. I thought it was my crappy equipment or even a bug in the system but if it’s happening to more than one commentator then it does look dodgy.

    1
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    Mute N-Plate
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:39 PM

    Let’s deal with our own problems.

    13
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    Mute John003
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:49 PM

    Yes the bad dudes as the Donald would call them are Saudi Arabia which fund Muslim brotherhood and ISIL and BokoHaram in Nigeria…..Qatar who fund Hamas and ISIL and Iran who fund Hezbolah and Hamas’ ….All the other countries are innocent….

    3
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    Mute The Edge
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:27 PM

    The biggest single difference between Trump and Obama (I’ll include Carter because he banned Uranians in the 70′s) is the Donald Trump banned 7 Muslim countries while Obama ban people specifically from one country

    13
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    Mute H0tt3rBank3r
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    Jan 31st 2017, 6:35 PM

    Except he didn’t. The article tells you that Iraqi refugees were admitted in the period the so called ban was in place. Some ban.

    17
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    Mute Ciarán Farrelly
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    Jan 31st 2017, 8:37 PM

    All this talk of banning refugees is pure subterfuge, when we should be focusing on why they were created in the first place. Thank U.S. Foreign Policy for that!!!

    10
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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Jan 31st 2017, 10:08 PM

    Good luck to trump. After all if Americans get slathered in the streets of any us state who’s head will be on the block. We are living in the western world and our laws are our laws not just laws for us to obey. If you want to start a new life in the free world then obey the rules. Religion is a farce a joke a fraud. Anybody who lives there life’s for the sake of religion needs there heads testing. There’s no god. There’s only life only death. Live your life n

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    Mute Aw
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    Jan 31st 2017, 7:33 PM

    @monty on the ball there with your analysis, it is truly farcical. If it was about terrorism then Saudi Arabia and Egypt should be top of the pile. It’s pandering to core far right supporters. Sudan is probably the best example, the following article discusses their position on the ‘terror list’ and the recent lifting of sanctions. https://www.google.ie/amp/www.forbes.com/sites/dougbandow/2017/01/23/time-to-lift-sanctions-against-sudan-to-battle-terrorism-and-improve-human-rights It’s for everyone of us to oppose the type of divisive fear mongering politics Trump. As history has taught us, policies of appeasement to powerful tyrants end badly.

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    Mute Stephen Murray
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    Feb 1st 2017, 11:11 PM

    USA needs a break from mass immigration. Trump needs a break too.

    I am not convinced that open borders is in any way a good idea. I do accept thought that it brings the good feels

    That said the iranian word for “unity” is “shadilay”, so I propose #shadilay as the meme to fight the hate this has caused, even if we are apart in nations, we can be together in the concept of shadilay.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Feb 1st 2017, 3:14 AM

    Is the riots about the ban or is it about Trump?
    http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/16/world/paris-attacks-syrian-refugees-backlash/
    The link being from 2015 under the heading of “More than half the nation’s governors say Syrian refugees not welcome”.
    https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/visa-waiver-program/visa-waiver-program-improvement-and-terrorist-travel-prevention-act-faq
    “Under the Act, travelers in the following categories are no longer eligible to travel or be admitted to the United States under the VWP:

    Nationals of VWP countries who have been present in Iraq, Syria, or countries listed under specified designation lists (currently including Iran and Sudan) at any time on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited government/military exceptions).
    Nationals of VWP countries who have been present in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, at any time on or after March 1, 2011 (with limited government/military exceptions).”

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Feb 1st 2017, 3:44 AM

    “The U.S. Congress shares this concern, and on December 18, 2015, the President signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2016, which includes the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 (the Act). The Act, among other things, establishes new eligibility requirements for travel under the VWP. These new eligibility requirements do not bar travel to the United States. Instead, a traveler who does not meet the requirements must obtain a visa for travel to the United States, which generally includes an in-person interview at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.”
    From the link above which has the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 (the Act).
    http://cis.org/Brief-Analysis-HR-158-Visa-Waiver-Program-Improvement-Act-2015
    “Generally, prohibits natives of, or travelers to Syria or Iraq (or other countries that have been designated
    by the secretaries of State or Homeland Security as state supporters or sponsors of terror, such as Sudan
    and Iran) anytime from March 1, 2011, onward, from participating in the VWP, requiring instead that
    they seek visas through interviews by American consular officers.”

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