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White House undercuts its own arguments with new Muslim ban

Donald Turmp's new Muslim-ban policy is about many things, but to believe it's all about national security is to overlook the relevant details.
Image: Donald Trump
President Donald Trump signs an executive order on extreme vetting during an event at the Pentagon in Washington, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
So much for "see you in court." The White House quietly gave up on Donald Trump's original Muslim ban after it failed spectacularly in the courts, paving the way for today's rollout of a new version of the president's executive order.

Citizens from the affected countries -- Iran, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, Syria, and Libya -- will be subjected to a 90-day ban on travel to the United States. Iraq was previously listed among those nations, but was removed from this latest iteration of the travel ban after assurances from the Iraqi government of increased information sharing with the United States, a senior Department of Homeland Security official told reporters on Monday.The order will go into effect on March 16, does not revoke existing visas approved before that date and does not explicitly apply to current lawful permanent residents and green card holders.Visas revoked because of the original travel ban have been fully restored, according to the State Department.