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Friday 16 February 2018

Bannon interviewed in Russia investigation U.S. denies plan for 'bloody

By MARY JALONICK swer to each question was was one of Trump's top nose' strike on North Korea
JONATHAN LEMIRE "no" and he told the com- advisers, lawmakers were
WASHINGTON (AP) — For- mittee he was not autho- expected to question him By MAT PENNINGTON "Our preference is to
mer White House chief strat- rized to elaborate, accord- about key events during WASHINGTON (AP) — The achieve denuclearization
egist Steve Bannon, whose ing to lawmakers of both his time in the White House, United States doesn't have of the Korean Peninsula
involvement in the Trump parties. including Trump's firings of a "bloody nose" strategy through a diplomatic set-
White House and the presi- Bannon was already under former national security for North Korea, senators of tlement, but we will reach
dent's election campaign subpoena as lawmakers adviser Michael Flynn and both parties and a Trump this goal one way or anoth-
makes him knowledgeable on both sides of the aisle former FBI Director James administration official said er," she said.
about matters related to have been critical of the Comey. Thursday, rejecting claims Trump has pledged to pre-
the U.S. wants to strike the vent North Korea from per-
North's nuclear program in fecting a nuclear-tipped,
a way that avoids an all- long-range missile that
out war. could strike the U.S. main-
The harmonized mes- land. The North's rapid tem-
sage could quell specula- po of weapons tests in the
tion that President Donald past year has led the CIA
Trump is contemplating lim- director to say the country
ited military action to dem- may only be months away
onstrate U.S. resolve to- from the target.
ward North Korea without The "bloody nose" moniker
provoking a wider conflict. emerged in December,
Such a strategy would be when a British newspaper,
widely seen as dangerous The Daily Telegraph, cited
given the North's capabil- unnamed sources say-
ity to inflict a devastating ing the White House had
retaliation on U.S. ally South "dramatically" stepped up
Korea. preparation for a military
A senior White House offi- solution because diploma-
cial, at a briefing Wednes- cy was not working.
day, told lawmakers no Victor Cha, a Washington-
such approach has been based Korea expert who
Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump's former chief strategist, arrives for questioning by the adopted, Sens. Jeanne had long been regarded
House Intelligence Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into meddling in the U.S. elec- Shaheen, D-N.H., and as Trump's choice to be-
tions by Russia, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. James Risch, R-Idaho, said come U.S. ambassador
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) at a Senate hearing Thurs- to South Korea, referred
day. An administration offi- to it in a commentary two
Russian meddling and po- White House's sweeping At issue is whether Ban- cial who was testifying con- weeks ago and said some
tential obstruction of an interpretation of executive non can talk about the firmed their accounts. administration officials
ongoing federal inquiry, privilege and its conten- presidential transition, his The White House had were considering preven-
was interrogated over two tion that pretty much ev- time at the White House "made it very clear there tive military action against
days this week by investi- erything is off limits until the and communications with is no bloody nose strategy North Korea.
gators for special counsel president says it's not. Trump and others since he for a strike against North Cha warned of thousands
Robert Mueller, according The escalating fight be- left last summer. Texas Rep. Korea," Shaheen told the of Americans being put
to a person familiar with the tween Congress and the Mike Conaway, the Repub- Senate Foreign Relations at risk in South Korea and
process. The person, who White House over the privi- lican leading the panel's Committee, which was the start a nuclear war. It
declined to be named be- lege issue has centered Russia probe, said Bannon considering the nomination wasn't clear whether Cha
cause they were not au- around Bannon, an out- would only answer the pre- of Susan Thornton, Trump's was passed over as ambas-
thorized to publicly discuss sized figure in President approved questions about choice to be the top diplo- sador because of policy
the investigation, said Ban- Donald Trump's campaign any time period past the mat for East Asia. differences with the White
non answered every ques- and White House and an day Trump was elected in "We were told clearly by House or problems with his
tion that was put to him. inspiration to some con- November 2016. administration people security clearance.
Bannon's interview by Muel- servatives as he has pub- Conaway wouldn't say about as high up as it gets Darryl Kimball, executive
ler's team came just before licly battled the Republi- whether Republicans that there is no such thing director of the Washington-
he visited Capitol Hill on can establishment. He was would hold Bannon in con- as a 'bloody nose' strategy, based Arms Control As-
Thursday to answer ques- fired from the White House tempt. He said he'd dis- that they've never talked sociation, said he was not
tions as part of the House last summer, and more re- cuss the issue with House about, they've never con- reassured by the senators'
intelligence committee's cently had a falling out lawyers and with House sidered it, they've never comments.
own Russia probe. Like his with Trump after the Janu- Speaker Paul Ryan, who is used that term, and it's not "It's very clear that the ad-
first visit in January, Bannon ary publication of a book in likely to have the final say something that that people ministration has discussed
declined to answer some which he sharply criticized in whether the House votes ought to be talking about," military options," including
questions in the closed- Trump family members. on contempt. "That's an Risch said. for a preventive strike, Kim-
door interview — forcing Despite his fractured rela- ongoing conversation we'll Thornton confirmed the ad- ball told The Associated
Republican lawmakers to tionship with Trump, Ban- have among an awful lot ministration's policy remains Press, citing Cha's com-
weigh whether to hold him non has followed White of lawyers," Conaway said one of "maximum pressure" mentary. "That by itself is
in contempt of Congress. House direction as the after Bannon's interview. At through economic sanc- disconcerting."
He would only answer 25 House lawmakers have least one Republican on tions to get North Korea to U.S. intelligence officials this
questions that had been sought to talk to him in its the intelligence panel said negotiate on eliminating week assessed the risk of
pre-approved by the White probe of Russian meddling before the interview that a up its nuclear weapons. At conflict with North Korea as
House in reference to any in the 2016 election and contempt vote would be the same time, the U.S. is higher today than at any
events after President Don- whether Trump's campaign necessary if Bannon were keeping military options on time since the end of the
ald Trump's election. His an- was involved. Because he uncooperative. q the table. Cold War. q