The United States is planning to close nearly 30 embassies and consulates around the world, according to documents obtained by CNN and prepared by the State Department.
The information obtained by CNN also says that Washington is reducing the capacity of its embassies in Somalia and Iraq, reducing their activities and turning them into smaller offices. The two countries are at the heart of the US counterterrorism operation.
The report said that the move is part of the Trump administration’s plan to reduce government spending. The new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, is leading the move.
“The document proposes to close 10 embassies and 17 consulates. Many of them are in Europe and Africa, but also include those in Asia and the Caribbean. They include embassies in Malta, Luxembourg, Lesotho, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan,” the CNN report said.
As the New York Times recently reported, top White House officials are debating the fate of the U.S. embassy in Somalia. Some have suggested closing it altogether, saying that Somalia is not a place of major interest to Washington.
However, President Trump later said that the United States would continue to support Somalia in its fight against terrorism. The United States has military bases in Somalia and is assisting government forces in their fight against extremist groups.
The Trump administration is implementing a major plan to reduce spending at the U.S. State Department. The embassy closures come after the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which the Trump administration cut off funding and closed its doors, was shut down.
The major U.S.-funded radio station, VOA, was also shut down, playing a key role in implementing U.S. foreign policy, especially public diplomacy, to win the hearts of the international community.
The Somali government, which is preventing the United States from withdrawing from its country, as its presence is essential to the fight against terrorism, has given Washington the authority to manage several ports, some of which it does not manage.
