US To Redirect $230Mln In Funding From Stabilization Efforts In Syria - State Dept.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo authorized the diversion of $230 million in funds from stabilization efforts in war-torn Syria but the US government will continue to support the White Helmets, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release on Friday.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th August, 2018) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo authorized the diversion of $230 million in funds from stabilization efforts in war-torn Syria but the US government will continue to support the White Helmets, State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a press release on Friday.

"Pompeo has authorized the Department of State to redirect approximately $230 million in stabilization funds for Syria which have been under review," Nauert said. "Working with Congress, the State Department will redirect these funds to support other key foreign policy priorities."

The State Department will continue to provide life-saving and needs-based humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Syrians, support for the White Helmets operating in Syria and the UNs International Impartial and Independent Mechanism, Nauert added.

This decision by the US administration does not represent a change in Washingtons commitment to its goals in the middle Eastern country, according to Nauert.

The defeat of the Islamic State terrorist group (IS, outlawed in Russia) remains a top priority for the State Department, she added.

US diplomats continue to work closely with the Pentagon to support upcoming operations in east Syria by the Syrian Democratic Forces, the release added.

Since April, the Department has elicited some $300 million in contributions and pledges from US-led coalition partners to support stabilization and recovery efforts in parts of northeast Syria.

On Thursday, the State Department applauded Saudi Arabia for contributing $100 million to Syrian stabilization efforts.

The White Helmets is a Syrian humanitarian organization that claims to have saved tens of thousands of lives. Both Moscow and Damascus said that the White Helmets had ties with terrorists and extremists. The group's head, Raed Saleh, said earlier in August that the White Helmets were not linked to any terror organization.