Trump Asked Saudi King $4bn for ’Syria Goals’, Report Says
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US President Donald Trump asked Saudi King Salman for $4 billion "to spend on advancing Washington's objectives in Syria", which Riyadh also shares, a report said.
US military newspaper Stars and Stripes carried the report on Friday, saying the demand was made by the US chief executive during a phone call with the Saudi monarch last December.
The money, it claimed, would be spent towards preventing the empowerment of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Syria's allies, Iran and Russia. Washington would further the goal as far as bringing about "a political settlement of the war that ultimately includes the exit of both Assad and Iran," it added.
The report cited hawkish US Senator Lindsey Graham as reminding Gen. Joseph Votel, head of US Central Command earlier in the week of "the negative long-term impact that a win for Iran, Russia and Assad would have on US allies such as "Israel" and Jordan."
"By the end of the call, according to US officials, the president believed he had a deal," the paper said.
It said Riyadh acknowledges that it partly shares Washington's goals "particularly that of limiting Assad's power and rolling back Iran's influence."
Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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