Page 4 - Interagency Process News Today

>> the nsc staff did, yes. >> and per usual custom are these -- were these talking points based on the official united states policy objectives? >> they were. >> and since there has been a little bit of dispute about what that means, could you explain how official u.s. policy is determined with -- through the interagency process? >> we operate under what is known as nspm 4. national security memorandum four on the internet how the president wanted to be provided options for his decision. >> and ...

Were you? we were running a process to provide the information that i had been directed to generate for the presidents consideration as to the state of interagency sport for continuing ukraine security sector assistance. >> and the entire interagency supported the continuation of the security assistance, isnt right? >> that is correct. >> now after the larger meeting with vice president pence and president zelenskyy, you testified at your deposition that you saw ambassador sondland immediately g...

>> who she call in the process? >> sondland and mr. giuliani. >> what did do you if anything to determine what that was? >> after that particular handoff meeting, i proceeded to look it up on the internet. i googled it. >> did you find that it had some association with hunter bide snen. >> yes. >> did you dmot listen to this call but you testified you were surprised and troubled when you read the call record after it was released on september 25th. you also said that after reading the call recor...

Characterized president trumps state of corruption in ukraine. and the presidents prioritization of getting the europeans to contribute more to security sector assistance. zwr was he commenting on general concerns of the hold? >> i didnt mention a hold. he mentioned we were reviewing the assistance and thats the way i heard it and characterize it. and those are the points he raised to help him understand where we were in our process. that is the coordinator of the interagency process. you were n...

Yourself know what ambassador sondland meant by the deliverable? >> i did not at the time. i think i have an understanding now. >> and what is your understanding now? >> there seems to have been discussions about a statement, various drafts of which have been discussed in various proceedings. >> but this to your knowledge was part of that parallel process you were talking about? >> yes. >> if we can now go to the next exhibit which is another text exchange just a few minutes later between ambass...

Coordinate the interagency process, you were not aware of anyone else doing that either, is that right? >> correct. >> now, you testified in your deposition that hearing this call confirmed what you call the parallel process that your president sesor fiona hill warned you about. what did you mean by that? >> during the period in which dr. hill and i were conducting handoff meetings so that i could be up to speed on the various things that were occurring in the portfolio at the time, she mentione...

Think mr. volker and mr. taylor the acting ambassador taylor was here wednesday. he testified about the presidents decision to withhold legal aid. he said the president felt it might provoke russia. and mr. taylor contested than that russia has already been provoked and they have invaded the ukraine. president obama had the right to make his own foreign policy and make his own decisions as president of the united states, correct? >> yeah. theres an interagency process, and congress -- >> he has ...

Mentioned bill barr. in your world, when you were with the state department, when you were a representative to the united nations, under what circumstances would the attorney general be involved in your dealings with other countries? >> quite a bit. its not unusual to have the attorney general, the justice department involved in the interagency process. the national security council has representatives of the pentagon, the cia, the commerce department depending on what the issue is. but almost a...

As new polling shows the top of the democratic field starting to take shape. we more on that later in the hour but we are still more than three months out from the iowa caucuses and a reminder just how early we are in the process is taking place tonight in the hawkeye state. tonight is the annual iowa libtd and justice celebration. it was formerly known as the states jefferson jackson dinner. the event has a deep place in democratic campaign lore partly because it was where many considered the p...

>> the question is, is it appropriate for a president -- >> we are going to have an investigation. >> is it okay for a president to ask a foreign country to investigate the bidens? >> why dont we do an interview instead of interviewing yourself? >> what do you make of these allegations? >> i said im not going to comment on the merits of whats going forward. >> is that concerning at all to you that the transcript had been described as a perfect transcript but may not have been? >> no. theres a pr...