Monday, January 30, 2017

U.S. Diplomats Drafted A ‘Dissent Memo’ Objecting To Trump’s Muslim Ban


By Christina Wilkie 

Scores of American diplomats stationed across the globe have drafted a formal “dissent memo” to register their objections to President Donald Trump’s ban on Syrian refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries. 

The draft memo, obtained by ABC News, represents the most significant opposition thus far from within the Trump administration to the president’s controversial executive order. 

“This ban ... will not achieve its stated aim of to protect [sic] the American people from terrorist attacks by foreign nationals admitted to the United States,” wrote the diplomats. “It will immediately sour relations with these six countries, as well as much of the Muslim world, which sees the ban as religiously motivated.” 

The draft memo does not contain any signatures, and its contents are categorized as “Sensitive But Unclassified.” The use of “dissent memos” at the State Department dates back to the Vietnam War, when they were considered necessary to ensure that diplomats on the ground had a means to express opinions that differed with formal U.S. policy. 

Click here for the full article.

Source: The Huffington Post

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