Washington 14 Feb (ANA) - US President Donald Trump's administration is seeking to decrease its financial contributions to the Middle East in 2019, most notably to UN missions in Lebanon, the occupied Golan Heights, and the Western Sahara.

 

The plan, revealed on Monday, is unlikely to make it past sceptical politicians in Congress, however. Douglas Pitkin, the director of the state department's Bureau of Budget and Planning, told reporters on Monday that "because [the department is] looking for greater cost containment at the UN more generally, [it does] have a lower funding level than the full peacekeeping estimate". 

 

Pitkin added that these figures are subject to change. Trump's plan includes slashing US contributions to the United Nations mission in Lebanon, as well as international peacekeeping missions worldwide.(ANA)

FA/ANA/14 February 2018---------