The Administration Is Exploring a 'Broad Range' of North Korea Options

Is the administration preparing for something with North Korea? That was the impression of many in Washington ahead of a Wednesday afternoon White House briefing of nearly all 100 U.S. senators by military and national security officials. Those briefing the senators included Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, General Joseph Dunford of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. The White House national security advisor, H.R. McMaster, also attended, while President Trump made a short appearance.

The purpose of the hearing, said a senior administration official, was to "communicate the seriousness of the threat from North Korea and to allow the senators to ask questions of the national security team and to understand better the nature of the threat but also what our response to that threat has been."

Speaking with reporters next to the White House's North Lawn following the briefing, Delaware Democrat Chris Coons called the briefing "sobering" and said he learned more about the threat of North Korea's nuclear program. But for the most part, senators said the briefing gave them little new information about the Trump administration's policy toward North Korea, nor any signs of an imminent military action.

Exploring a "Broad Range of Options" on North Korea

A senior administration official who spoke to reporters at the White House Wednesdaytried to explain more of the Trump national security team's thinking on North Korea. The official said placing Kim Jong-un's regime back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism is one option the administration is considering.

"We're looking at a broad range of options across all elements of national power and multinational power in connection with North Korea," the official said. "So what the president's done is he's made a decision for us to pursue a certain course, and that course obviously has a number of options associated with it, depending on how the situation develops in the future."