Document suggests US aid cuts
A document purported to have come from the US State Department appears to show plans to slash US development assistance to the Kingdom down to zero, a move observers said yesterday would further weaken the US’s standing in the country, allowing for China to cement its already growing influence. The document, obtained and published by Foreign Policy on Monday, appears to propose doing away with development assistance to the Kingdom in 2018, down from a 2016 real spending level of $34.5 million. Similarly, the Kingdom’s Economic Support Fund would see a 100 percent cut from $8 million in 2016. While not completely stripped, health programs run by the State Department and USAID would see 18 and 37 percent cuts, respectively.
