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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 18 sepTember 2018
Trump declassifies documents related to FBI Russia probe

By CHAD DAY tion." That section includes
Associated Press reference to potential co-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Presi- ordination between peo-
dent Donald Trump on ple associated with Trump's
Monday declassified a campaign and the Russian
trove of documents related election interference effort.
to the early days of the FBI's The other 18 pages ap-
Russia investigation, includ- pear to relate to informa-
ing a portion of a secret tion the government sub-
surveillance warrant appli- mitted that came from
cation and former FBI Di- ex-British spy Christopher
rector James Comey's text Steele before the presiden-
messages. tial election. Steele was
Trump made the extraordi- a longtime FBI informant
nary move in response to whose Democratic-funded
calls from his allies in Con- research into Trump ties to
gress who say they believe Russia was compiled into a
the Russia investigation was dossier that has become a
tainted by anti-Trump bias partisan lightning rod since
within the ranks of the FBI its publication in January
and Justice Department. It 2017.
also came as Trump contin- In addition to the FISA ap-
ued his efforts to undermine President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting of the President's National Council of the Ameri- plications pages, the presi-
special counsel Robert can Worker in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Monday, Sept. 17, 2018, in Washington. dent is declassifying all FBI
Mueller's probe in the wake Associated Press reports documenting inter-
of the guilty plea of his for- views in connection with
mer campaign chairman, Director of National Intelli- fication review by various tions and warrants related the Page surveillance war-
Paul Manafort, and amid gence and the Justice De- agencies "to seek to en- to Page released by the FBI rant as well as those docu-
the ongoing grand jury in- partment to declassify the sure the safety of America's earlier this year in heavily menting interviews with
vestigation into a longtime documents "at the request national security interests." redacted format. The June senior Justice Department
associate, Roger Stone. of a number of commit- That review is now ongoing. 2017 application was the official Bruce Ohr, who was
Trump's decision will result in tees of Congress, and for According to the state- last of four filed by the Jus- in contact with Steele.
the release of text messag- reasons of transparency." It ment, Trump declassified tice Department in support According to Sanders'
es and documents involv- was unclear how soon the 21 pages of the 101-page of FISA court orders allow- statement, Trump also di-
ing several top Justice De- documents would be re- June 2017 application to ing the monitoring of Page rected the Justice Depart-
partment and FBI officials leased. obtain a warrant under the for nearly a year. ment to publicly release
who Trump has repeatedly In statements Monday Foreign Intelligence Sur- According to the redacted in full the text messages of
attacked over the last year. evening, the Justice De- veillance Act, or FISA, to version, three of the de- Comey, Ohr, former acting
White House press secretary partment and the office of monitor the communica- classified pages involve FBI Director Andrew Mc-
Sarah Huckabee Sanders Director of National Intelli- tions of former Trump cam- information included in a Cabe, former FBI lawyer
announced Trump's deci- gence Dan Coats said they paign adviser Carter Page section titled "The Russian Lisa Page and former FBI
sion in a written statement, are working together to in 2016.Those pages only Government's Coordinat- special agent Peter Strzok
saying the president had comply with Trump's order, make up a small part of the ed Efforts to Influence the that are related to the Rus-
directed the Office of the which triggers a declassi- 412 pages of FISA applica- 2016 U.S. Presidential Elec- sia investigation.q

Air Force: Space Force would

cost $13 billion over 5 years

available cost estimate. for space," she wrote. "Stra- the cost over five years
When the White House an- tegic competition with Rus- would be an estimated
nounced plans to establish sia and China is the focus $12.9 billion.
a Space Force in August, of our approach." In an indication of the
Deputy Defense Secretary Creation of Space Force complexities of creating a
Patrick Shanahan declined as a separate military ser- new military service, the Air
to give a figure but said it vice will require congres- Force says the proposed
would be in "the billions." sional action. U.S. Space Force would
The Air Force's estimate The administration is ex- be a separate depart-
is contained in a Sept. 14 pected to submit pro- ment organized under a
In this Dec. 6, 2017, file photo, Air Force Secretary Heather Wil-
son is testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on memo from Air Force Sec- posed legislation early next civilian secretary appoint-
Capitol Hill in Washington. retary Heather Wilson, who year authorizing the estab- ed by the president and
Associated Press proposed that the Penta- lishment of a Space Force. confirmed by the Senate,
gon ask Congress for the A copy of the Air Force along with an undersecre-
By ROBERT BURNS Donald Trump, would cost authority and money to memo was obtained Mon- tary, four assistant secre-
AP National Security Writer an estimated $12.9 billion establish a Space Force day by The Associated taries, a chief lawyer, an
WASHINGTON (AP) — Cre- in its first five years, accord- headquarters in 2020. Press. inspector general and a
ating a Space Force as a ing to a detailed Air Force "The President has clearly The memo says the first- legislative liaison. A four-
separate military service, plan for how to go about it. communicated his desire year cost of a Space Force star general would serve as
as proposed by President This is the first publicly for a military department would be $3.3 billion, and chief of staff.q