REUTERS-The Pentagon was
creating a list of Iraqis who had worked alongside U.S. troops, which will be
passed to agencies implementing President Donald Trump's
executive order
restricting entry for people from Iraq and six other Muslim-majority countries,
a spokesman said on Monday.
A Pentagon
spokesman, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, said that over the weekend the White House
had "provided the opportunity" to submit names.
"There are a
number of people in Iraq who have worked for us in a partnership role, whether
fighting alongside us or working as translators, often doing so at great peril
to themselves," Davis told reporters.
"We are
ensuring that those who have demonstrated their commitment tangibly to fight
alongside us and support us, that those names are known in whatever process
there is going forward," he added.
It was unclear when
the list would be complete and how many names it would include.
Trump's order
suspending travel, which he signed on Friday, sparked anger in Iraq, where more
than 5,000 U.S. troops are deployed to help Iraqi and regional Kurdish forces
in the war against the Islamic State militant group.
Iraq asked the
United States on Monday to reconsider the travel ban on its citizens, taking a
more diplomatic line than the Iraqi parliament, which demanded the government
retaliate.
The Iraqi parliament
called on the government to impose "similar treatment" on U.S.
nationals.
REUTERS
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