U.S. cuts $230M US in Syria aid, says no rebuilding funds until peace talks underway

There will be no globalreconstruction funding for Syria until a "credible andirreversible" political process led by the United Nations isunderway, a U.S. State Department official said Fridayas theUnited States announced plans toredirect $230 million US in frozen funding away from the civil war-torn country.

U.S. officials said they were able to make the $230 million reduction because they had raised $300 millionfor recovery efforts in northeastern Syria from other countries, whichwere part of the coalition battling ISIS militants in the area.

U.S. officials said the $230 million will be spent on other foreign policy priorities.

U.S. President Donald Trump froze the funds in March while hisadministration reassessed Washington's role in the Syrianconflict, saying he wanted the U.S. to leave Syria.

U.S. officials insisted that Washington's efforts would befocused on defeating ISIS in Syria.

It named former ambassador to Iraq, Jim Jeffrey, to a newposition as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's adviser onSyria. Jeffrey would also oversee talks on a politicaltransition in Syria, including the future of Russia- andIran-backed President Bashar al-Assad.

U.S. says it's remaining in Syria

Acting U.S. assistant secretary of state David Satterfield said therewould be no international funding for Syria's reconstructionuntil there was a "credible and irreversible" political process underway to end the Syrian conflict, which has been going on since March 2011.

"There is not going to be, by international agreement, reconstruction assistance to Syria unless the UN not Moscow,not Washington, not any other capital validates that acredible and irreversible political process is underway,"Satterfield said ona conference call with the media.

Both the Russian and Syrian governments want internationalfunding to rebuild Syria, he said.

Brett McGurk, the U.S. special presidential envoy overseeing the fight against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, said SaudiArabia had contributed $100 million and United Arab Emirates hadpledged $50 million toward the new funding. Australia, Denmark,European Union, Taiwan, Kuwait, Germany and France also pledgedfunding, he said.

"It is about unlocking international reconstructionassistance, which Syria is desperately going to need," McGurktold reporters. "We are remaining in Syria. The focus is on theenduring fight against ISIS," he added.