US briefs Iraq Chaldean head, Vatican on aid after critique

ROME (AP) — A senior U.S. diplomat has briefed the leader of Iraq's Chaldean Catholics on U.S. development aid after the cardinal accused the United States of failing to help rebuild Christian villages devastated by the Islamic State group.

Mark Green, USAID administrator, said Wednesday that he disagreed with the claims Cardinal Louis Sako made at a Vatican briefing.

Green says the complaints nevertheless were "a reminder that it is not only important to execute and deliver results, it is (important) to be able to constantly stay in touch and make people aware of what we're doing and involve them in guiding it."

Green was in Rome to brief Vatican officials on results from U.S. assistance for religious minorities in Iraq and on a near-doubling of development aid to about $300 million since last year.

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