After Trump ban, Egypt bars 4 Iraqis from travel

By Mahmoud al-Husseini

CAIRO (AA) - Egyptian authorities on Saturday barred four Iraqis from boarding a New York-bound flight following U.S. President Donald Trump’s ban on the entry of citizens from seven countries.

An Iraqi citizen, his wife and two sons were stopped by Cairo airport authorities from boarding an EgyptAir plane bound to New York, an airport source said, requesting anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to media.

The source said the passengers had been barred from travelling at the request of JFK airport in New York.

The move came one day after Trump temporarily banned travelers from seven countries, including Iraq, into the U.S.

The American President has defended the move as necessary to protect the U.S. from terrorist attacks.

"I'm establishing new vetting measures to keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the United States of America. Don't want them here," Trump said on Friday at the Pentagon.