Analysis: Afghanistan strike may boost Trump, send message to North Korea
WASHINGTON — Even though President Trump didn't authorize dropping of a 21,000-lb. bomb in Afghanistan on Thursday, he may still get a political boost from it.
After U.S. military announced the attack on an Islamic State tunnel complex, Trump said he endorsed the strike, and he said he wasn't trying to send a message to another troublesome nation, North Korea. "It doesn’t make any difference if it does or not — North Korea is a problem, the problem will be taken care of," Trump told reporters.
Asked about the use of the GBU-43, or massive ordnance air blast (MOAB) in Afghanistan, coming one week after a missile strike in Syria, Trump said that "what I do is I authorize my military. ... We have given them total authorization and that’s what they’re doing and frankly that’s why they’ve been so successful lately."
Government officials said that while Trump has been briefed on the potential use of the MOAB, it does not appear Trump got a special briefing on Thursday's use. There was no need for one, a White House official said, because Trump had given authority to the military when it came to attacking ISIS, and the president was aware that this weapon was an option. "He had already in effect greenlighted it," the official said who was not authorized to speak on the record.
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https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/04/13/donald-trump-afghanistan-north-korea-bombing-syria/100436010/