BREAKING NEWS

US boosts aid to to Jordan up to $1 billion per year

WASHINGTON - The United States on Tuesday announced plans to increase annual aid to Jordan to $1 billion from $660 million to help it pay for the cost of housing refugees from Iraq and Syria and of fighting Islamic State militants.
An agreement on the aid, which is subject to the approval of the US Congress, was signed before the wide release of a video that appeared to show Islamic State militants burning a captured Jordanian pilot alive.
In a brief statement, the US State Department said it planned to provide $1 billion per year to Jordan for each of the US fiscal years for 2015, 2016 and 2017. The US fiscal year ends on September 30.
"The United States recognizes Jordan's increased immediate needs resulting from regional unrest, the efforts Jordan is undertaking at the forefront of the fight against ISIL and other extremist ideology and terrorism, the influx of refugees from Syria and Iraq, the disruption of foreign energy supplies, and other unprecedented strains," the State Department said.