Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Monday 3 June 2019

Pentagon tells White House to stop politicizing military

By LOLITA C. BALDOR VIP events and how service pacity since the first of the
Associated Press members should respond year, has yet to be formally
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — to such political requests, nominated by Trump as
The Pentagon has told the said the official, who spoke permanent defense chief.
White House to stop politi- on condition of anonymity His speech to a major na-
cizing the military, amid a to discuss internal delibera- tional security conference
furor over a Trump admin- tions. in Singapore on Saturday
istration order to have the Shanahan also said that he was a chance to audition
Navy ship named for the spoke with McCain’s wife, for the job on the interna-
late U.S. Sen. John McCain Cindy, a few days ago. He tional stage.
hidden from view during declined to provide any A formal nomination has
President Donald Trump’s details. been expected, and Con-
recent visit to Japan. The order to keep the Navy gress members have said
Trump’s top aide scoffed at destroyer out of sight re- they believe there will be
the idea that anyone work- flected what appeared to a hearing on his nomina-
ing for the White House Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, left, arrives be an extraordinary White tion in the next month or so.
might be punished. “We for the opening dinner of the 18th International Institute for House effort to avoid of- The McCain issue is sure to
think it’s much ado about Strategic Studies (IISS) Shangri-la Dialogue, an annual defense fending an unpredictable come up, but it’s not clear
nothing.” and security forum in Asia, in Singapore, Friday, May 31, 2019. president known for hold- how it may affect either his
A U.S. defense official said Associated Press ing a grudge, including nomination or confirma-
Patrick Shanahan, Trump’s tails about a Navy email came to light last week, a particularly bitter one tion by the Senate. It may
acting defense chief, is also that said the White House triggering a storm of out- against McCain. well depend on what steps
considering sending out military office wanted the rage. Trump’s acting chief of he takes to respond to the
formal guidance to military USS John McCain kept “out Trump, who long feuded staff, in appearances on matter in the coming days.
units in order to avoid simi- of sight” when Trump was in with McCain, has said he two Sunday news shows According to Shanahan
lar problems in the future. Japan about a week ago. knew nothing about the in the U.S., said he did not spokesman Lt. Col. Joseph
Shanahan confirmed de- The internal Navy email request, but added that expect anyone working for Buccino, Shanahan told
“somebody did it because the White House to face dis- his chief of staff on Friday
they thought I didn’t like cipline. “To think that you’re to speak with the White
him, OK? And they were going to get fired over this House military office “and
well-meaning, I will say.” is silly,” said Mick Mulvaney, reaffirm his mandate that
Shanahan told reporters making the comparison to the department of defense
traveling with him to South someone who tries to sit will not be politicized.” Buc-
Korea on Sunday that he bickering colleagues apart cino said the chief of staff
is not planning to seek an from each other at an of- reported back that he de-
investigation by the Pen- fice meeting. livered the message.
tagon’s internal watchdog “The fact that some 23- or Asked what he has learned
into the matter “because 24-year-old person on the about the incident so far,
there was nothing car- advance team went to Shanahan said he was
ried out” by the Navy. He that site and said ‘Oh my told that despite the White
added that he still needs goodness, there’s the John House request, the Navy
to gather more information McCain, we all know how did not move the ship and
about exactly what hap- the president feels about that a barge that was in
pened and what service the former senator, maybe front of it was moved be-
members did. that’s not the best back- fore Trump arrived. He said
“How did the people re- drop, can somebody look that a tarp that had been
ceiving the information — into moving it?’ That’s not draped over the ship’s
how did they treat it,” Sha- an unreasonable thing to name was removed, but
nahan said. “That would ask,” Mulvaney said. that it was put there for
give me an understanding The McCain incident maintenance, not to ob-
on the next steps” to take. has dogged Shanahan scure its identity.
Shanahan did not detail throughout his weeklong Asked directly if members
what those steps could trip to Asia, even as he of his senior staff were
be, but a defense official tried to deal with critical aware of the White House
said Shanahan is consider- national security issues in- request before the presi-
ing a clearer directive to volving the eroding U.S. re- dent’s visit, Shanahan said
the military about avoiding lationship with China and he’s been told they did not
political situations. The goal the continuing threat from know. He also has said he
would be to ensure there is North Korea. was not aware of the re-
less ambiguity about how Shanahan, who has been quest and that he would
the military should support serving in an acting ca- never have authorized it.q