Trump budget slashes Middle East aid
The State Department is seeking deep cuts to military and economic assistance for Arab states.
The Donald Trump administration is seeking deep cuts in US assistance for Arab states as part of its proposed budget for the State Department and foreign aid.
The budget blueprint released May 23 would slash security assistance to vulnerable countries, including Tunisia and Lebanon, by more than 80% compared with fiscal year 2016, according to an Al-Monitor analysis (see chart below). Economic and development aid would also take a beating, dropping by almost half in Egypt, for example.
