The Conversation (0)
News
Jessica Brown
Mar 01, 2017
Picture:
GETTY IMAGES / POOL / JIM LO SCALZO
Trump's speech to Congress yesterday wasn’t without its controversy, it wouldn't have been a Trump speech otherwise.
The President highlighted the importance of improving vetting procedures for people trying to gain entry to the US in order to crack down on terrorism.
He said:
According to data provided by the Department of Justice, the vast majority of individuals convicted for terrorism-related offences since 9/11 came here from outside of our country.
We have seen the attacks at home – from Boston to San Bernardino to the Pentagon, and yes, even the World Trade Center.
We cannot allow a beachhead of terrorism to form inside America. We cannot allow our nation to become a sanctuary for extremists.
Trump goes on to say:
This is why administration has been working on improved vetting procedures, and we will shortly take new steps to keep our nation safe – and to keep out those who would do us harm.
But just over half of the people convicted for terrorism-related offences since 9/11 were born outside of the US, according to Homeland Security Department research.
Some of the perpetrators of the attacks Trump mentioned were born in the US, including the San Bernardino shooter, Syed Rizwan Farook.
And none of the attackers from the incidents Trump mentioned were from any of the seven countries under his 'travel ban,' more commonly known as the 'Muslim ban'.
Citizens from Iran, Libya, Smalia, Sudan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen were temporarily banned from travelling to the US - until the ban was blocked last month by Federal judge James Robart.
The Boston bombers for example, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, emigrated to the US from Chechnya.
One of the terrorists behind 9/11 was born in Egypt, one in Lebanon, two from United Arab Emirates and 15 from Saudi Arabia.
It's perhaps summed up best with this tweet:
More: 35 breathtaking cartoons in response to Trump's 'Muslim ban'
Top 100
x