Image source: Screenshot from YouTube, “10,000 ISIS Fighters: The Hidden Army in the Desert” Full Documentary, Java Discover | Free Global Documentary, January 2024
Trump is often vilified for the so-called “Muslim Ban,” but there was no such ban. Executive Order 13769, titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, imposed a 90-day suspension of entry for individuals from seven countries—Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen—due to their links to terrorism.
Some of these nations are where U.S. soldiers and ships are currently under attack. The order did not affect nationals from the other 43 Muslim-majority countries. Trump was right to recognize the threat these seven nations posed to U.S. security.
Sudan was removed from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism in 2020, but at the time of Executive Order 13769, it had a history of harboring groups like al-Qaeda.
Today, Sudan teeters on the brink of failure due to ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
This violence has caused widespread destruction, economic collapse, and displacement, further eroding government authority.
Sudan’s instability leaves it vulnerable to extremist groups in the Sahel and North Africa, who could exploit the chaos to increase terrorism in the region.
Yemen, home to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has long been a terrorism hotspot, with groups exploiting the ongoing civil war to bolster their operations. AQAP and the Iranian-backed Houthis both play key roles in the conflict.
The Houthis, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, receive support from Iran and have launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and U.S. interests, linking their actions to Iran’s broader regional strategy (as discussed in the Iran section of this report).
Iran, designated as a major state sponsor of terrorism, provides extensive support to groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and militias across the Middle East, especially in Iraq and Syria.
This support includes not only financial backing but also arms, training, and strategic guidance, enabling these groups to carry out attacks on U.S. interests. Between October 2023 and February 4, 2024, Iran-backed groups, supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), launched over 60 attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq.
In Yemen, Iran supplies the Houthis with military support, including drones and missiles, which have been used to target Saudi Arabia and U.S. ships in the Red Sea, threatening global shipping. Iranian leaders, such as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, frequently promote anti-U.S. rhetoric, with “Death to America” often chanted at state-sponsored rallies.
Libya has been in chaos since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, creating a power vacuum exploited by militant groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates.
In 2015, ISIS established a stronghold in Sirte, aiming to create a base after its defeats in Iraq and Syria.
Although Libyan forces, with U.S. air support, recaptured Sirte in 2016, ISIS has reconstituted in desert regions, continuing to carry out guerrilla attacks such as the May 2020 strike on the Libyan National Army (LNA).
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and other militants remain entrenched in southern Libya, using it for operations, fundraising through smuggling, and moving weapons across North Africa.
They engage in kidnappings targeting Westerners, with American citizens among those captured or killed. Libya’s instability has also turned it into a transit hub for arms and fighters, fueling conflicts in the Sahel and beyond, threatening U.S. allies and global security.
Somalia is home to Al-Shabaab, a powerful terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaeda. Al-Shabaab frequently carries out attacks on military and civilian targets, using suicide bombings, vehicle-borne explosives, and coordinated assaults.
One of the deadliest attacks occurred in October 2017, when they bombed Mogadishu, killing over 500 people. In 2022, the group also claimed responsibility for an attack on the Hayat Hotel in Mogadishu.
Al-Shabaab controls rural areas in southern and central Somalia, operating training camps, recruiting fighters, and taxing locals to fund its operations.
In these strongholds, the group undermines stabilization by targeting Somali military forces and African Union Mission (AMISOM) personnel. Al-Shabaab’s influence extends beyond Somalia, with attacks in Kenya, such as the 2013 Westgate Mall attack and the 2015 Garissa University massacre, which killed nearly 150 students.
These attacks highlight its regional threat and ability to destabilize East Africa, posing challenges to U.S. and allied interests.
Syria is a designated state sponsor of terrorism and remains a key battleground for extremist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliates.
Although the ISIS caliphate collapsed in 2019, the group continues insurgent attacks, particularly in eastern Syria’s desert regions. ISIS focuses on ambushes, bombings, and hit-and-run attacks, such as the February 2021 ambush on an oil tanker convoy, which killed over 30 Syrian soldiers and civilians.
Al-Qaeda-linked groups, particularly Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), dominate Syria’s northwest, especially in Idlib province.
While HTS has shifted focus to local governance, it continues attacks on Syrian forces and rivals, clashing with Russian and Syrian military forces, using drone strikes and bombings.
In September 2022, HTS killed five Syrian soldiers in Hama, showing its ongoing military capability. Smaller al-Qaeda affiliates like Hurras al-Din have also emerged, complicating the security situation by targeting Syrian military convoys and assassinating rival militants and leaders.
All seven countries designated in Executive Order 13769 were linked to terrorism and continue to pose a threat to the U.S. Trump was right to pause admissions from these countries and subject visa applications to extensive scrutiny.
This raises the question of why Democrats and liberals opposed the order and pushed for more people from these nations to be admitted to the U.S.
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