Remember the timeline: according to news reports we already HAD the NORKs backing down before Bannon’s comments. So Trump/Tillerson had done back channel work and had a victory already.
Then Bannon says publicly that a military solution wouldn’t work, would be very bloody. Publicly.
This is a message to Kim for consumption in his country. He can take this to his people and say “See! The Americans know they can’t win here.” Of course he has already agreed to stop firing missiles toward Guam.
Then Tillerson, again publicly, says, “Well, the military option is NOT off the table.” This is another message for Kim that he does NOT have to share with his people, namely, “Watch it, bub. We backed you off once, we can do it again.”
Bannon’s comments were approved as a way to allow Kim to save face with his own people after giving us what we demanded.
Thank you. I know we weren’t just patiently waiting for the maniac to attack Guam, so that’s a reasonable explanation on what was going on in the background.