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Despite his comments, political leaders in Denmark cautiously welcomed the change of plan, and especially the limiting of the itinerary to just the US base.

“There are a lot of variables that are unique to his situation. So I think it’s just about having an open mind and trying to be cautiously optimistic and take the right approach.”

"Britain's chequered history of benefit reform shows that the government should proceed cautiously, rather than rush ahead to find savings which could backfire," says Louise Murphy of the Resolution Foundation.

In a village on the outskirts of Baniyas, our team came across a small group of men who had cautiously returned to check on their homes and shops.

Rob Manwaring, who was part of a coalition of nine groups that had raised concerns about earlier labels, was cautiously optimistic.