After meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he had received “assurances” from the White House that the U.S. government will increase support for Iraq as security forces continue to combat the Islamic State and the government works to reconstruct areas liberated from the extremist group’s control.
“We have been given assurances that the support will not only continue, but will accelerate,” al-Abadi said at the U.S. Institute of Peace on Monday.
Last week, Trump released his 2018 budget outline, raising big questions about the future of U.S. foreign assistance under his administration. The proposal called for a 28 percent cut to the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, including an even more significant decrease of Overseas Contingency Operations funding, which finances operations in conflict and disaster areas. Along with 18 other government agencies, Trump’s budget blueprint called for eliminating USIP — the venue where al-Abadi delivered his remarks on Monday.
About the author
Michael Igoe@AlterIgoe
Michael Igoe is a Senior Reporter with Devex, based in Washington, D.C. He covers U.S. foreign aid, global health, climate change, and development finance. Prior to joining Devex, Michael researched water management and climate change adaptation in post-Soviet Central Asia, where he also wrote for EurasiaNet. Michael earned his bachelor's degree from Bowdoin College, where he majored in Russian, and his master’s degree from the University of Montana, where he studied international conservation and development.