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White House Aide: Ban on Muslims Restricted to Countries that Sponsor Terrorism | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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U.S. Army Lieutenant General Michael Flynn looks at U.S. President-elect Donald Trump as he talks with the media at Mar-a-Lago estate where Trump attends meetings, in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 21, 2016. REUTERS/Carlos Barria


Washington- U.S. President-elect Donald Trump seemed to suggest on Wednesday that the truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin vindicated his proposal during the presidential campaign to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.

“You know my plans. All along, I’ve been proven to be right. One hundred percent correct,” Trump said to reporters. Trump described the terrorist attack as an offence against humanity and not Christians.

Later on, Jason Miller, a top spokesperson on Trump’s presidential campaign, said that Trump plans might annoy some but he was clear that immigration applications will be suspended from countries that prove to have high levels of terrorism and strict procedures will be applied on those willing to enter the U.S. to protect the souls of Americans.

Kellyanne Conway, President-elect Donald Trump’s former campaign manager and newly named White House aide, said Thursday that the new administration would not pursue a ban on Muslims solely based on their religion.

“You’re going back to over a year ago in what he said about the Muslim ban versus what he said later about it, when he made it much more specific and talked about countries where we know that they’ve got a higher propensity of training and exporting terrorists,” Conway told CNN.

Conway also denied that Trump has changed his position.

“Kellyanne Conway has been a trusted advisor and strategist who played a crucial role in my victory,” Trump said in a statement. “She is a tireless and tenacious advocate of my agenda and has amazing insights on how to effectively communicate our message.”

Earlier, Trump named strident China critic Peter Navarro to lead a new White House office overseeing American trade and industrial policy.

Trump’s team praised Navarro in a statement as a “visionary” economist who would “develop trade policies that shrink our trade deficit, expand our growth, and help stop the exodus of jobs from our shores.”