Jordan succeeds in maintaining U.S. foreign aid
Ammon News -
Jordan has successfully navigated the repercussions of US President Donald Trump's decision to cut foreign aid through diplomatic efforts that resulted in an exemption for the kingdom and guaranteed continued financial and military support.Within two months, support was flowing again, a result of diplomacy that has arguably put the pivotal Middle Eastern state on more solid financial footing than before the U.S. president's shock move to reshape global foreign aid in January, conversations with more than 20 sources in Jordan and the United States reveal.Jordan has won assurances from Washington that the bulk of financing worth at least $1.45 billion annually remains intact, including military and direct budgetary support, according to Reuters conversations with the sources.Most of the sources, including Jordanian officials, diplomats, regional security officials, U.S. officials and contractors involved in U.S. aid projects asked not to be named to discuss sensitive ongoing diplomatic discussions.Four of them said payments resumed in March to U.S. firm CDM Smith, which USAID tasked with overseeing the $6 billion Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project, seen as key to the self-sufficiency of the arid kingdom.Although several sources said much of the $430 million annual assistance for development programs remains frozen, hitting education and health projects, Molly Hickey, a Harvard-doctoral researcher studying U.S. aid and Jordan's political landscape, said these areas are seen as less strategically important.A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed Jordan's military aid was intact, calling Jordan a strong U.S. partner with a critical role for regional security.A decision has now been taken to continue U.S. Foreign Military Financing to all recipients, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio completed his review of foreign assistance awarded by State and USAID, the spokesperson said.Senior White House aides met in recent weeks to discuss the fate of Jordan's financing, three officials with knowledge of the situation told Reuters, concluding that the kingdom's stability was critical to U.S. national security.
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