National Security Council: Difference between revisions

[[File:White House Situation Room.jpg|thumb|[[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]] during a National Security Council (NSC) meeting at the [[White House]] [[Situation Room]], March 21, 2003. The participants in the meeting, including [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]] Donald Rumsfeld, [[Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] General [[Richard Myers|Richard B. Myers]], [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Colin Powell]], [[Director of the Central Intelligence Agency]] ([[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]) [[George Tenet]], [[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisor]] [[Condoleezza Rice]] and [[White House Chief of Staff]] [[Andrew Card|Andy Card]].]]

The National Security Council was created in 1947 by the [[National Security Act of 1947|National Security Act]]. It was created because policymakers felt that the diplomacy of the State Department was no longer adequate to contain the [[Soviet Union]] in light of the tension between the Soviet Union and the United States.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QHDkqb-myscC&pg=PA499|title=Encyclopedia of American foreign policy|edition=2nd|volume=2|location=New York|publisher=Scribner|year=2002|author=National Security Council|isbn=9780684806570 }}</ref> The intent was to ensure coordination and concurrence among the [[United States Army|Army]], [[United States Marine Corps|Marine Corps]], [[United States Navy|Navy]], [[United States Air Force|Air Force]] and other instruments of national security policy such as the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA), also created in the National Security Act. In 2004, the position of [[Director of National Intelligence]] (DNI) was created, taking over the responsibilities previously held by the head of the CIA, the [[Director of Central Intelligence|director of central intelligence]], as a cabinet-level position to oversee and coordinate activities of the [[United States Intelligence Community|Intelligence Community]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/directors-of-central-intelligence-as-leaders-of-the-u-s-intelligence-community/chapter_15.htm|title=Directors of Central Intelligence as Leaders of the US Intelligence Community|author=Douglas F. Garthoff|year=2007|publisher=cia.gov|access-date=July 26, 2022|archive-date=April 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427101356/https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/books-and-monographs/directors-of-central-intelligence-as-leaders-of-the-u-s-intelligence-community/chapter_15.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

According to "National Security Presidential Memorandum 2", the [[chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and [[Director of National Intelligence|director of national intelligence]] were to only sit on the Principals Committee as and when matters pertaining to them arise, but will remain part of the full National Security Council.<ref name="Presidential Memorandum">{{cite press release|title=Presidential Memorandum Organization of the National Security Council and the Homeland Security Council|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/28/presidential-memorandum-organization-national-security-council-and|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170129061103/https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/28/presidential-memorandum-organization-national-security-council-and|archive-date=January 29, 2017|publisher = Office of the Press Secretary |access-date= January 31, 2017|language=en |date=  January 31, 2017}}</ref><ref name="DefenseStatement">{{cite web|title=No Change to Chairman's Status as Senior Military Adviser, Officials Say|url=https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1064325/no-change-to-chairmans-status-as-senior-military-adviser-officials-say| author= Jim Garamone| publisher=[[United States Department of Defense]]|access-date= January 31, 2017|language=en|date= January 31, 2017}}</ref> However, Chief of Staff [[Reince Priebus]] clarified the next day that they still are invited to attend meetings.<ref name="Trump chief of staff: defense officials not off NSC after Bannon move">{{cite news| author= Alan Yuhas |title=Trump chief of staff: defense officials not off NSC after Bannon move|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jan/29/trump-priebus-nsc-steve-bannon|newspaper = [[The Guardian]]|access-date=January 30, 2017|language=en|date= January 29, 2017}}</ref> With "National Security Presidential Memorandum 4" in April 2017, the [[Director of National Intelligence|director of national intelligence]] and the [[chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff]] "shall" attend Principals Committee meetings and the [[director of the Central Intelligence Agency]] was included as a regular attendee.<ref name="auto1">[https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/nspm-4-organization-national-security-council-homeland-security-council-and-subcommittees-summary] [[Lawfare Blog]] NSPM-4: "Organization of the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and Subcommittees": A Summary</ref> The reorganization also placed the [[administrator of the United States Agency for International Development]] as a permanent member of the Deputies Committee,<ref>{{cite web|title=Maybe the Trump Administration Just Elevated Development Policy, or Maybe Not|url=https://www.cgdev.org/blog/maybe-trump-administration-just-elevated-development-policy-or-maybe-not|author= Scott Morris|publisher=[[Center for Global Development]] |date=February 7, 2017| access-date=March 15, 2017}}</ref> while the White House chief strategist was removed.<ref>{{ Cite news| url=https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-05/bannon-removed-from-national-security-council-role-in-shakeup| author=Jennifer Jacobs | title = Bannon Loses National Security Council Role in Trump Shakeup| newspaper=Bloomberg.com | access-date=April 5, 2017 | date =April 5, 2017 | publisher=[[Bloomberg News|Bloomberg]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Steve Bannon loses National Security Council seat|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-39508351|author= BBC|work=BBC News|date=April 6, 2017| access-date=April 6, 2017}}</ref>

One of the tasks of the National Security Council is to determine and identify people, including United States citizens who are deemed to be threats to national security and add them to a "kill list".<ref name=reu1005>{{cite news| url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cia-killlist-idUSTRE79475C20111005 | work=[[Reuters]] | title=Secret panel can put Americans on "kill list" |author=Mark Hosenball |date=October 5, 2011 |access-date= March 26, 2017| author-link=Mark Hosenball }}</ref> In this case, no public record of this decision or any operation to kill the suspect will be made available.<ref name=reu1005 /> The panel's actions are justified by "two principal legal theories": They "were permitted by Congress when it [[Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists|authorized the use of military forces against militants]] in the wake of [[9/11|the attacks of September 11, 2001]]; and they are permitted under international law if a country is defending itself."<ref name=reu1005 />