US President Trump Says to Study ‘Dumb’ Refugee Deal With Australia

Source: thewire.in --- Thursday, February 02, 2017
US President Donald Trump speaks during the swearing-in ceremony for the new US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Credit: Reuters/Carlos Barria/File Photo Sydney: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he will review a ‘ dumb deal’ to take hundreds of Australia n asylum seekers after The Washington Post reported he had angrily berated Australia ‘s prime minister and abruptly ended a tense telephone call. Australia n Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters the call on Saturday had been frank and candid but ref us ed to provide further details on a ‘private’ conversation that has hit headlines on both sides of the world. The Washington Post reported that Trump had described the call with the leader of Australia , one of the US’s staunchest allies, as ‘the worst so far’. It came less than a day after Washington had sown conf us ion in Australia after saying it would apply ‘extreme vetting’ as part of the refugee resettlement deal . The deal was agreed late last year between Australia , which has fought alongside US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the administration of former President Barack Obama. “Do you believe it? The Obama Administration agreed to take tho us ands of illegal immigrants from Australia . Why? I will study this dumb deal ,” Trump said on Twitter not long before midnight Washington time. As part of the deal , Washington agreed to resettle up to 1,250 asylum seekers held in offshore processing camps o ...

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