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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsFinally, We Learn Why Chad Is on the Travel Ban List. It's Not Good.
OCT. 19 2017 7:40 PM
By Joshua Keating
Ever since the Trump administration unveiled the latest edition of its travel ban on Sept. 24, many observers have been puzzled by the inclusion of Chad on the list. Chad was not previously known as a major source of anti-U.S. terror plots, at least no more than several countries that arent on the list, and is in fact considered an important regional counterterrorism partner of the U.S. We now know the answerand its very dumb.
CBS reports that as part of its security review of traveler vetting procedures, the Trump administration had required countries to provide a sample of its passports to the Homeland Security Department for analysis. That was a problem for Chad, because the country had run out of passport paper:
This was why the U.S. was willing to spurn a country that has hosted U.S. organized military exercises and is a major recipient of U.S. security aid, a move that might have contributed to Chads recent decision to withdraw hundreds of troops from neighboring Niger, where they had been part of the coalition fighting Boko Haram and where, as recent events make clear, the U.S. needs allies.
The issue is moot, for the moment, as the ban has been blocked by a federal court injunction just like its predecessors. But it should shred whatever remaining credibility the administration has in the criteria it uses to assemble these lists.
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http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/10/19/trump_put_chad_on_the_travel_ban_because_of_passport_paper.html
Madam45for2923
(7,178 posts)lapfog_1
(29,227 posts)The Government of Chad's ongoing dispute with Exxon/Mobil over taxes owed on oil extracted from Chad and the possible retribution for this from a State Department run by the former CEO of Exxon / Mobil.
The passport paper issue could simply be the "excuse" given.
Wwcd
(6,288 posts)@PuestoLoco
"Kelly added Chad to the new Trump Muslim travel ban list to alienate them so they would pull out of Niger & Russia could fill the void."
@TomJChicago
"Russia & Niger signed a military cooperation agreement in Aug 2017. Did Trump push trusting Russia or share intel? The US was double-crossed"
https://mobile.twitter.com/TomJChicago/status/921554684531396609
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Exxon reached a settlement with Chad, but would not have been pleased. And I suspect Rump would have been very easy to sell on slapping and insulting Chad in response. He may even have insisted on it himself once "someone" pointed it out.
Rump, of course, also has a personal grudge against North Korea, which is now, ridiculously, also on what's still a Muslim Ban list since almost none of them are allowed out of the country and don't come here. Foreign policy as an extension of his previous "I'll hit them so hard (with tweets) their heads will spin" Twitter warfare.
NCjack
(10,279 posts)1. In Chad, procurement of passport paper was not begun in time to avoid depletion of stock.
2. In Trump Administration, a low-level bureaucrat put Chad on ban list, as required by policy. But, there was no one in the State Department who understood what the ramifications would be. Gee, Rex -- I guess our ultimate root cause is you.
NickB79
(19,274 posts)Jesus Christ.
TexasProgresive
(12,159 posts)On a slightly humorous side. I thought Chad was hung.
Hanging chads from the Florida recount- Gore v. Bush.
Frustratedlady
(16,254 posts)I can't imagine Tillerson sitting still for this.