Over 130 experts denounce Trump's revised travel ban

WASHINGTON: Over 130 US foreign policy experts have denounced President Donald Trump's revised travel ban, saying it undermines America's national security and interests as much as the original order barring travelers from some Muslim-majority countries and refugees.

"To Muslims – including those victimized by or fighting against ISIS (Islamic State) – it will send a message that reinforces the propaganda... that falsely claim the United States is at war with Islam," read the letter by former government officials and experts.

"Welcoming Muslim refugees and travelers, by contrast, exposes the lies of terrorists and counters their warped vision," added the document dated Friday.

Among the 134 signatories were some who served in either or both Republican and Democratic administrations were former senior diplomat Nicholas Burns, ex-national Security Council counter-terrorism director Richard Clarke and ex-undersecretary of defense Michele Flournoy.

Most served under Democratic presidents, including former secretary of state Madeleine Albright, former Homeland Security secretary Janet Napolitano, ex-national security advisor Susan Rice and ex-national Counterterrorism director Matthew Olsen.

Their comments echo those being made in court by US states claiming the modified measures discriminate against Muslims and are detrimental to US interests.

"Bans like those included in this order are harmful to US national security and beneath the dignity of our great nation," the letter read.

The executive order "weakens this country's ability to provide global leadership and jeopardizes our national security interests by failing to support the stability of our allies that are struggling to host large numbers of refugees," it added.

The letter was also sent to Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Homeland Security chief John Kelly and Acting Director of National Intelligence Michael Dempsey.

The revised directive temporarily closes US borders to all refugees and citizens from six mainly-muslim countries.

It denies US entry to all refugees for 120 days and halts for 90 days the granting of visas to nationals from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The new order, unveiled Monday, is due to go into effect March 16 and replaces the previous Trump directive that was blocked in federal court. The blocked order included an indefinite Syrian refugee travel ban and its blacklist of barred countries included Iraq. WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has vowed to press ahead with a controversial plan, slowed by bickering within his Republican party, to repeal Barack Obama's signature healthcare law.

"We are making great progress with healthcare. Obamacare is imploding and will only get worse. Republicans coming together to get job done!" Trump wrote on Twitter.

Trump, who spent part of Saturday meeting with senior aides at his golf club in Virginia, told reporters that he spent part of the day strategizing with his White House team on the health care overhaul.

The president has thrown his full weight behind a contested plan by House Republicans to replace Obamacare, battling to overcome resistance from the party's right wing in hopes of meeting a key campaign pledge.

On Saturday, he dispatched his top lieutenant, Vice President Mike Pence, to the southern state of Kentucky to make a pitch for the beleaguered proposal.

"Here are the heart-breaking facts: on Sunday, Americans are paying 3,000 more a year on average for health insurance than the day Obamacare was signed into law," Pence told a crowd in the city of Louisville.

"Last year alone, premiums spiked by 25 percent and millions of Americans have lost their health insurance plans and lost their doctors," Pence said, touting the Republican reform plan, unveiled just this past Monday, as the solution.

"We're going to give Americans more choices. We'll expand health savings accounts," Pence declared.

"Under President Trump's leadership, we're actually also going to finally allow Americans to purchase health insurance across state lines – the way you buy life insurance, the way you buy car insurance."

Obama's signature health insurance reform bill was the crowning domestic achievement of his presidency.