Trump hasn’t made decision on striking Venezuela, officials say
By Kevin Liptak, Alayna Treene, CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump has yet to make a decision on whether to attack Venezuela on land, a White House official and a senior US official said, as he hints a window may be opening for diplomacy.
As American military forces amass in the region — including the most advanced US aircraft carrier and 15,000 personnel — Trump is hoping the pressure is enough to force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to step down without taking direct military action, the US official said.
Trump received briefings on military options on three consecutive days last week. The options ranged in intensity, from strikes on military or government facilities to special operations raids. The option of doing nothing also still exists.
The president has, at points, voiced some reservations about taking direct military action inside Venezuela. He’s questioned the risks posed for US troops and asked about the likelihood of success.
Trump is also attuned to fresh criticism from some of his allies that his attention is overly focused abroad, rather than on domestic matters.
It wasn’t immediately clear what signals the administration had received that Maduro was prepared for a fresh round of diplomacy. Last month, amid quiet efforts at brokering an agreement with Caracas, Trump instructed his team to cut off diplomatic outreach to Maduro and top Venezuelan officials.
At the time, Trump and senior officials were frustrated Maduro wasn’t agreeing to step down voluntarily.
The-CNN-Wire
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