Iraq calls on US to review 'wrong' travel ban

Baghdad called today for the United States to review its "wrong decision" to prevent Iraqis from entering the country as parliament backed reciprocal restrictions if Washington does not change course.
The calls are part of a growing backlash against President Donald Trump's executive order barring citizens of Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen from entering the US for at least 90 days, a decision he billed as an effort to make America safe from "radical Islamic terrorists".
The travel restrictions, which come on the heels of repeated assertions by Trump that the US should have stolen Iraq's oil before leaving in 2011, risk alienating the citizens and government of a country fighting against militants the president has cast as a major threat to America.

"We see it as necessary for the new American administration to review this wrong decision," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
"It is very unfortunate that this decision was issued towards an allied state linked by strategic partnership with the United States," it said.
The ministry noted that the US move "coincides with victories achieved by (Iraq's) brave fighters and with the support of the international coalition against the Daesh terrorist gangs in Mosul," referring to the battle to retake the city from the Islamic State jihadist group.

Parliament, meanwhile, urged the government to take similar measures against Americans if Washington does not reconsider its position.

Iraqi lawmakers called on the Baghdad government to "respond in kind to the American decision in the event that the American side does not withdraw its decision", a parliamentary official who was present for the vote told AFP, quoting text of the decision that was read at the session.
"Parliament voted by majority on calling on the Iraqi government and the foreign ministry to respond in kind," MP Hakim al-Zamili said.
Sadiq al-Laban, another lawmaker, confirmed that "the vote was for a call on the government" to enact reciprocal measures.
"We are against this stance from the new administration," Laban said, adding: "We hope that the American administration will rethink... This decision."

Trump's decision led to the detention of incoming refugees at US airports, sparking protests, legal challenges and widespread condemnation from rights groups.
The parliamentary vote came a day after its foreign affairs committee made a similar call for Iraq to respond in kind to the US measure.
Hassan Shwairid, the deputy head of the committee, said that the call did not apply to the thousands of American military personnel in the country as part of the US-led coalition against IS.
But US Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham said Trump's ban could impact military cooperation and security in other ways.