US redirects Syria funds, emphasizes it is not withdrawing
The US State Department said on Friday it will redirect $230 million in frozen funding away from Syria and emphasized that the move did not signal a retreat by Washington from the conflict.
The department said it had raised $300 million from coalition partners for recovery efforts in areas retaken from Islamic State militants in the northeast of the country and the US unds would be used to support other foreign policy priorities.
US President Donald Trump froze the funds in March while his administration reassessed Washington's role in the Syrian conflict, saying he wanted the US to leave Syria.
US officials insisted that Washington's efforts would be focused on defeating Islamic State in Syria.
