Trump drops Bannon from NSC

Pence plays down shake-up as routine

WASHINGTON, April 5, (Agencies): US President Donald Trump removed his chief strategist Steve Bannon from the National Security Council on Wednesday, reversing his controversial decision early this year to give a political adviser an unprecedented role in security discussions.

Trump’s overhaul of the NSC, confirmed by a White House official, also elevated General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Dan Coats, the director of National Intelligence who heads all 17 US intelligence agencies. The official said the change moves the NSC “back to its core function of what it’s supposed to do.”

It also appears to mark a victory for national security adviser H.R. McMaster, who had told some national security experts he felt he was in a “battle to the death” with Bannon and others on the White House staff.

Vice — President Mike Pence said Bannon would continue to play an important role in policy and played down the shake-up as routine.

“This is just a natural evolution to ensure the National Security Council is organized in a way that best serves the president in resolving and making those difficult decisions,” Pence said on Fox News.

Bannon said in a statement he had succeeded in returning the NSC back to its traditional role of coordinating foreign policy rather than running it. He cited president Barack Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, for why he advocated a change.

“Susan Rice operationalized the NSC during the last administration so I was put on NSC to ensure it was ‘de-operationalized.’ General McMaster has NSC back to its proper function,” he said.

Trump’s White House team has grappled with infighting and intrigue that has hobbled his young presidency. In recent days, several other senior US foreign policy and national security officials have said the mechanisms for shaping the Trump administration’s response to pressing challenges such as Syria, North Korea and Iran still were not in place.

behalf of Iran’s government.

Prosecutors said in a court filing last week that eight of the US banks involved in the case were clients of Giuliani or Mukasey’s law firms, and Giuliani’s firm was a registered agent of Turkey, posing potential

Critics of Bannon’s role on the NSC said it gave too much weight in decision-making to someone who lacked foreign policy expertise.

Bannon, who was chief executive of Trump’s presidential campaign in the months leading to his election in November, in some respects represents Trump’s “America First” nationalistic voice, helping fuel his anti-Washington fervor and pushing for the president to part ways at times with mainstream Republicans. Before joining the Trump administration, Bannon headed Breitbart News, a right-wing website.

US Representative Adam Schiff, ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, called the shift in the NSC a positive step that will help McMaster “gain control over a body that was being politicized by Bannon’s involvement.”

“As the administration’s policy over North Korea, China, Russia and Syria continues to drift, we can only hope this shake-up brings some level of strategic vision to the body,” he said.

Bannon’s removal from the NSC was a potential setback for his sphere of influence in the Trump White House, where he has a voice in most major decisions. But a Trump confidant said Bannon remained as influential as ever.

“He is still involved in everything and still has the full confidence of the president but to be fair he can only do so much stuff,” the confidant said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Departure

The White House official said Bannon was no longer needed on the NSC after the departure of Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn.

Flynn was forced to resign on Feb 13 over his contacts with Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Sergei Kislyak, prior to Trump taking office on Jan 20.

The official said Bannon had been placed on the NSC originally as a check on Flynn and had only attended one of the NSC’s regular meetings.

The official dismissed

questions

conflicts.

Benjamin Brafman, an attorney for Zarrab, said at a court hearing on Tuesday that Giuliani and Mukasey were working on a “diplomatic solution” to the case and would not represent Zarrab in court. about a power struggle between Bannon and McMaster, saying they shared the same world view.

However, two current national security officials rejected the White House explanation, noting that two months have passed since Flynn’s departure.

McMaster, they said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, also has dueled with Bannon and others over direct access to Trump; the future of deputy national security adviser K.T. McFarland, a former Fox News commentator; intelligence director Ezra Cohen-Watnick, a Flynn appointee; and other staffing decisions.

Also: UNITED NATIONS:

The UN Security Council will visit Washington later this month and meet President Donald Trump at the White House, a council diplomat said Wednesday.

During the April 24 visit the 15 members of the UN’s most powerful body will also meet congressional leaders, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the trip hasn’t been officially announced.

Council members have also asked for a briefing by White House envoy Jason Greenblatt, who is charged with trying to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that collapsed over two years ago, the diplomat said.

Two issues certain to be on the agenda during the meetings, in addition to global hotspots including Syria and North Korea, are reports that Trump wants major cuts to the UN budget and reforms at the United Nations.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley, who holds the rotating Security Council presidency this month, has been outspoken in demanding reforms at the United Nations, which she has called “stale.”

The administration is doing a review of all 16 UN peacekeeping missions, which have an annual budget of nearly $8 billion, seeking to cut costs and improve their effectiveness.

The diplomat said Haley, who is also a member of Trump’s Cabinet, arranged the council visit.

Giuliani, who has advised US President Donald Trump, and Mukasey traveled to Turkey in late February to meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the case. Brafman said Tuesday that Mukasey discussed the trip in advance with US Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (RTRS)

Thumbs up for Air Force nom:

The Senate Armed Services Committee has given its approval to President Donald Trump’s nominee for Air Force secretary.

The GOP-led panel voted 22-5 Wednesday to favorably report Heather Wilson’s nomination to the full Senate for consideration.

Wilson, a former member of Congress, faced sharp criticism from several Democrats on the committee during her confirmation hearing last week. They questioned her work as a defense industry consultant and a conversation she had a decade ago with a federal prosecutor during a corruption probe.

Wilson told the panel she did nothing improper. To avoid potential conflicts of interest, Wilson has committed to selling stocks she holds in more than a dozen companies that have Defense Department contracts.

If confirmed, Wilson would be the first Air Force Academy graduate to hold the position. (AP)