Why iraq was removed from the revised travel ban

Iraq was removed from the revised travel ban, also known as the Presidential Proclamation 9645, on March 16, 2017. The ban was issued by President Donald Trump on January 27, 2017, and it suspended the entry of nationals from seven countries, including Iraq, into the United States for 90 days.

The reasons for removing Iraq from the travel ban are not entirely clear, but there are several theories:

  1. Iraqi government pressure: The Iraqi government reportedly lobbied the Trump administration to remove Iraq from the list, citing the country's cooperation with the United States in the fight against ISIS and its significant contributions to the global war on terror.
  2. Security concerns: Some analysts believe that the Trump administration may have concluded that Iraq's security situation had improved sufficiently to warrant removal from the travel ban. Iraq had been a key partner in the fight against ISIS, and the country had made significant progress in stabilizing its security situation.
  3. Diplomatic considerations: Removing Iraq from the travel ban may have been a way for the Trump administration to ease tensions with the Iraqi government, which had been critical of the ban. The move could have been seen as a gesture of goodwill and a recognition of Iraq's importance as a strategic partner in the region.
  4. Practical considerations: Iraq is a significant country in the Middle East, with a large population and a significant diaspora community in the United States. Removing Iraq from the travel ban may have been seen as a way to simplify the process of issuing visas and to reduce the administrative burden on the U.S. government.

It's worth noting that while Iraq was removed from the travel ban, the ban still applies to nationals from six other countries: Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, and North Korea.