Trump threatens to cut aid to U.N. members over Jerusalem vote

[webfact]

Trump threatens to cut aid to U.N. members over Jerusalem vote

By Roberta Rampton and Michelle Nichols

 

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to reporters at the start of a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, U.S., December 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

 

WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that vote in favour of a draft United Nations resolution calling for the United States to withdraw its decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

 

"They take hundreds of millions of dollars and even billions of dollars, and then they vote against us. Well, we're watching those votes. Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care," Trump told reporters at the White House.

 

The 193-member U.N. General Assembly will hold a rare emergency special session on Thursday - at the request of Arab and Muslim countries - to vote on a draft resolution, which the United States vetoed on Monday in the 15-member U.N. Security Council.

 

The remaining 14 Security Council members voted in favour of the Egyptian-drafted resolution, which did not specifically mention the United States or Trump but which expressed "deep regret at recent decisions concerning the status of Jerusalem."

 

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, in a letter to dozens of U.N. states on Tuesday seen by Reuters, warned that Trump had asked her to "report back on those countries who voted against us."

 

She bluntly echoed that call in a Twitter post: "The U.S. will be taking names."

 

Several senior diplomats said Haley's warning was unlikely to change many votes in the General Assembly, where such direct, public threats are rare. Some diplomats brushed off the warning as more likely aimed at impressing U.S. voters.

 

According to figures from the U.S. government's aid agency USAID, in 2016 the United States provided some $13 billion in economic and military assistance to countries in sub-Saharan Africa and $1.6 billion to states in East Asia and Oceania.

 

It provided some $13 billion to countries in the Middle East and North Africa, $6.7 billion to countries in South and Central Asia, $1.5 billion to states in Europe and Eurasia and $2.2 billion to Western Hemisphere countries, according to USAID.

 

Miroslav Lajcak, president of the General Assembly, declined to comment on Trump's remarks, but added: "It's the right and responsibility of member states to express their views."

 

A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also declined to comment on Trump's remarks on Wednesday.

 

"I like the message that Nikki sent yesterday at the United Nations, for all those nations that take our money and then they vote against us at the Security Council, or they vote against us potentially at the assembly," Trump said.

 

'BULLYING'

 

Trump abruptly reversed decades of U.S. policy this month when he recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital, generating outrage from Palestinians and the Arab world and concern among Washington's Western allies.

 

He also plans to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv. The draft U.N. resolution calls on all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem.

 

A senior diplomat from a Muslim country, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of Haley's letter: "States resort to such blatant bullying only when they know they do not have a moral or legal argument to convince others."

 

Responding directly to that comment on Twitter, Haley said: "Actually it is when a country is tired of being taken for granted."

 

A senior Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, described Haley's letter as "poor tactics" at the United Nations "but pretty good for Haley 2020 or Haley 2024," referring to speculation that Haley might run for higher office.

 

"She's not going to win any votes in the General Assembly or the Security Council, but she is going to win some votes in the U.S. population," the Western diplomat said.

 

A senior European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, agreed Haley was unlikely to sway many U.N. states.

 

"We are missing some leadership here from the U.S. and this type of letter is definitely not helping to establish U.S. leadership in the Middle East peace process," the diplomat said.

 

Israel considers Jerusalem its eternal and indivisible capital and wants all embassies based there. Palestinians want the capital of an independent Palestinian state to be in the city's eastern sector, which Israel captured in a 1967 war and annexed in a move never recognised internationally.

 

"The first name that she should write down is Bolivia," Bolivia's U.N. Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz said of Haley's message.

 

"We regret the arrogance and disrespect to the sovereign decision of member states and to multilateralism."

 

(Reporting by Roberta Rampton; writing by Doina Chiacu; editing by Jonathan Oatis and David Gregorio)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-12-21

[Bluespunk]

31 minutes ago, webfact said:

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley, in a letter to dozens of U.N. states on Tuesday seen by Reuters, warned that Trump had asked her to "report back on those countries who voted against us."

 

She bluntly echoed that call in a Twitter post: "The U.S. will be taking names."

 

 

Wah, wah, wah, the other kids are being unfair, they won't let me do whatever I want and won't say how brilliant it was to do it.

 

Morons

 

Edited December 20, 2017 by Bluespunk

[stevenl]

12 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

 

Wah, wah, wah, the other kids are being unfair, they won't let me do whatever I want and won't say how brilliant it was to do it.

 

Morons

 

Who on here was saying the USA is not bullying and forcing countries to vote the way the USA wants?

[observer90210]

Tit for tat...

Scratch my back, I'll scratch yours..

lex talionis.....all well represented in this latest soap opera....I'd rather get a regular soapy...much more fun !!

 

Edited December 21, 2017 by observer90210

[darksidedog]

46 minutes ago, webfact said:

"States resort to such blatant bullying only when they know they do not have a moral or legal argument to convince others."

Scurrilous thing to do. It will be interesting to see the reaction if the US are the only country to vote against the resolution. Is Donald going to cut off everyone's funding?

[pegman]

3 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Who on here was saying the USA is not bullying and forcing countries to vote the way the USA wants?

I think he may be writing of Trump & Haley. This goof Trump talks like some mafia Don problem is everyone knows when it comes to a fight he is nothing but a gutless draft dodger. Time to move the UN out of there and isolate that rogue nation. Maybe Tokyo or Biejing since the ctr of gravity in world affairs is definitely moving east. Let the Americans keep their money they are going to need it to suppress their coming race wars. 

[arithai12]

" speculation that Haley might run for higher office "

 

Ouch.

[pegman]

3 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Scurrilous thing to do. It will be interesting to see the reaction if the US are the only country to vote against the resolution. Is Donald going to cut off everyone's funding?

Israel makes two. 

[mercman24]

those oil rich arab states should counter by  threatening to blockade oil supplies to the USA that would bring this country to its knees in one month, once again this loud mouthed bully has opened his gob without thinking this out ha ha , go on , do it , ?? he will be shitting his pants

[Get Real]

Oh dear! He just don´t know when he´s standing on the tip of a melting iceberg. Time to introduce the new and exclusive Psycho-Superior Award 2017. This year the price is tied between two mad persons.

[doggie1955]

6 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

those oil rich arab states should counter by  threatening to blockade oil supplies to the USA that would bring this country to its knees in one month, once again this loud mouthed bully has opened his gob without thinking this out ha ha , go on , do it , ?? he will be shitting his pants

First of all, America has more oil in the ground than those oil-rich Arab's...

[ezzra]

6 minutes ago, mercman24 said:

those oil rich arab states should counter by  threatening to blockade oil supplies to the USA that would bring this country to its knees in one month, once again this loud mouthed bully has opened his gob without thinking this out ha ha , go on , do it , ?? he will be shitting his pants

Just so you know, the US has enough of it's oil and even export some out,

beside, the UN is a dinosaur that it's time and relevancy has passed,

if they want the 500 million dollars the US contribute every year, don't

vote against them, as they say, the man with the money is the man

with the powers, ask any billionaire....

[doggie1955]

What America needs to do is pull out of the U.N. and move the U.N. to a different country.

 

[doggie1955]

1 minute ago, ezzra said:

Just so you know, the US has enough of it's oil and even export some out,

beside, the UN is a dinosaur that it's time and relevancy has passed,

if they want the 500 million dollars the US contribute every year, don't

vote against them, as they say, the man with the money is the man

with the powers, ask any billionaire....

You are so Right!

[tonray]

...Nero fiddles while China assumes global leadership........

[Langsuan Man]

Quote

Trump threatens to cut aid to U.N. members over Jerusalem vote

What aid ?    He has already cut the US aid budget even before this Jerusalem vote

 

How can you cut aid that you have already cut ?

 

Quote

The End of Foreign Aid As We Know It

Trump budget would gut development assistance and fold USAID into State.

source:http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/24/u-s-agency-for-international-development-foreign-aid-state-department-trump-slash-foreign-funding/

[simple1]

30 minutes ago, doggie1955 said:

You are so Right!

Currently, he isn't regards energy...

 

https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=20812

[ezzra]

US foreign aid could reach $ 25.7 billion in 2018. In the distribution of aid, made through many agencies, the Americans contribute to global peace, security, economic development and humanitarian aid in times of crisis. The American aid program was formulated after World War II during the then Secretary of State George Marshall , and it provided significant assistance to Europe to recover from the war. In 1961, then-President John F. Kennedy became the foreign aid aid program and established a foreign aid agency, USAID, which coordinates aid and has become a very important body.

 

Today, the United States runs assistance programs in more than 100 countries around the world through more than 20 US government agencies, which promote diverse American interests such as a free market, fighting extremism, entrenching democracy, fighting the roots of poverty and more.

 

This year, the United States distributed $ 17 billion in aid money. In 2016 it distributed $ 30 billion. In 2015, aid stood at $ 28 billion and a year earlier $ 28.5 billion

So to sums it all up, you guys want our money? you better behave.....

[simple1]

11 minutes ago, Langsuan Man said:

What aid ?    He has already cut the US aid budget even before this Jerusalem vote

 

How can you cut aid that you have already cut ?

 

source:http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/04/24/u-s-agency-for-international-development-foreign-aid-state-department-trump-slash-foreign-funding/

From the linked article which indicates outcomes not beneficial to US interests....

 

Foreign-policy and national security experts on both sides of the aisle have argued that the cuts pose concrete risks to U.S. security interests. In February, a group of 121 retired generals and admirals sent an open letter to the White House and Congress cautioning against cuts to foreign aid and diplomacy. The letter cited the State Department and USAID’s role in maintaining global stability by confronting extremist groups like the Islamic State, curbing refugee flows, and combating infectious diseases like Ebola.

They expressed fear that cutting foreign aid risks ceding U.S. influence in other regions and countries.

[tonray]

16 minutes ago, ezzra said:

So to sums it all up, you guys want our money? you better behave....

Perhaps we should also apply same principle to Israeli settlement activity that we have publicly disapproved of.

[ChrisY1]

He's an utter knob!

[pegman]

53 minutes ago, doggie1955 said:

What America needs to do is pull out of the U.N. and move the U.N. to a different country.

 

100% agree! sooner the better. 

[geriatrickid]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Wah, wah, wah, the other kids are being unfair, they won't let me do whatever I want and won't say how brilliant it was to do it.

Morons

The USA is allowed to decide where it puts its embassy. The statement on its embassy by the USA has not changed the status quo, as the embassy would be in western Jerusalem which supposedly the UN  recognizes as Israel.

 

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Who on here was saying the USA is not bullying and forcing countries to vote the way the USA wants?

The USA isn't. On the contrary, it's the Arab world pushing the weaklings around all to the glee of  China and Russia.

 

49 minutes ago, doggie1955 said:

What America needs to do is pull out of the U.N. and move the U.N. to a different country.

The USA makes alot of money off the UN and New York would suffer financially. I believe the impact  is 8,000+ jobs and  about US$4 billion. 

 

32 minutes ago, tonray said:

...Nero fiddles while China assumes global leadership........

Good. Wait until the Chinese have to cough up the money. China is cheap. Remember the Ebola epidemic?  Africa and  the EU were saved from a  killer epidemic because Canada, the USA and the EU put up the emergency funds. China and Russia sent their best wishes and hot air.

 

[geriatrickid]

8 minutes ago, tonray said:

Perhaps we should also apply same principle to Israeli settlement activity that we have publicly disapproved of.

The difference is that you don't pay for the Israeli activity.

[Bluespunk]

2 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

The USA is allowed to decide where it puts its embassy. The statement on its embassy by the USA has not changed the status quo, as the embassy would be in western Jerusalem which supposedly the UN  recognizes as Israel.

 

The USA isn't. On the contrary, it's the Arab world pushing the weaklings around all to the glee of  China and Russia.

 

The USA makes alot of money off the UN and New York would suffer financially. I believe the impact  is 8,000+ jobs and  about US$4 billion. 

 

Good. Wait until the Chinese have to cough up the money. China is cheap. Remember the Ebola epidemic?  Africa and  the EU were saved from a  killer epidemic because Canada, the USA and the EU put up the emergency funds. China and Russia sent their best wishes and hot air.

 

My point had nothing to do with the USA deciding where to move it’s embassy. 

 

My point was was aimed at the bullying and hectoring tone taken by trump and his pit bull at the UN. 

[Morch]

1 hour ago, stevenl said:

Who on here was saying the USA is not bullying and forcing countries to vote the way the USA wants?

 

If the OP was standard behavior and practice for the USA and POTUS, it wouldn't have made much of a story or a headline. That it does, indicates that this too, is a deviation from how things used to get done. Trying to paint it as if the OP reflects or applies as a general statement on USA diplomacy is misleading.

[the guest]

1 hour ago, darksidedog said:

Scurrilous thing to do. It will be interesting to see the reaction if the US are the only country to vote against the resolution. Is Donald going to cut off everyone's funding?

To be honest, with so much poverty in the US, he should be looking after his own citizens first, rather than some far away country.

[Morch]

1 hour ago, pegman said:

I think he may be writing of Trump & Haley. This goof Trump talks like some mafia Don problem is everyone knows when it comes to a fight he is nothing but a gutless draft dodger. Time to move the UN out of there and isolate that rogue nation. Maybe Tokyo or Biejing since the ctr of gravity in world affairs is definitely moving east. Let the Americans keep their money they are going to need it to suppress their coming race wars. 

 

Is the UN up for such a move? Doubt it. Is the UN ready and willing to pass on US funding? doubt it. The USA is not a "rouge nation", and there is no effective way of "isolating it", a hollow vote in the UNGA notwithstanding. Some posters seem to have trouble separating their standing anti-US bias from Trump's obvious failure of a presidency. Then there's the inability to separate reality and wishful thinking...which oddly enough, is quite Trumpian itself.

[kawika4058]

I agree the US should pull out of the UN, have it moved somewhere else. We should all so cut  our foreign aid to all Arab country who take our money then vote against us.  Why are giving money to terrorist states in the first place? They have been abusing our generosity for far too long. If they don't need us, we sure as hell don't need them.

[Morch]

1 hour ago, mercman24 said:

those oil rich arab states should counter by  threatening to blockade oil supplies to the USA that would bring this country to its knees in one month, once again this loud mouthed bully has opened his gob without thinking this out ha ha , go on , do it , ?? he will be shitting his pants

 

The USA is not dependent on oil imports.