The Principals Committee - Presidential Directive 2001

[Solly Mack]

In the February 13, 2001 National Security Presidential Directive, there is a list of the Cabinet officials that make up the Principals Committee.

The NSC Principals Committee (NSC/PC) will continue to be the senior interagency forum for consideration of policy issues affecting national security, as it has since 1989. The NSC/PC shall have as its regular attendees the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Chief of Staff to the President, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (who shall serve as chair).

Secretary of State

Colin Powell (2001-2005)
Condoleezza Rice (2005-present)

Secretary of the Treasury

Paul O'Neill (2001-2002)
John Snow (2003-2006
Henry Paulson (2006-present)


Secretary of Defense

Donald Rumsfeld (2001-2006)
Robert Gates (2006-present)

Chief of Staff to the President

Andrew Card (2001-2006)
Josh Bolton (2006-present)

Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

Condoleezza Rice (2001-2005)
Stephen Hadley (2005-present)

The Director of Central Intelligence and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff shall attend where issues pertaining to their responsibilities and expertise are to be discussed. The Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall be invited to attend meetings pertaining to their responsibilities. For the Attorney General, this includes both those matters within the Justice Department's jurisdiction and those matters implicating the Attorney General's responsibility under 28 U.S.C. 511 to give his advice and opinion on questions of law when required by the President. The Counsel to the President shall be consulted regarding the agenda of NSC/PC meetings, and shall attend any meeting when, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, he deems it appropriate."


Director of Central Intelligence

George Tenet (1997-2004)
Porter Goss (2004-2006)
John Negroponte (as DNI) (2006-present)
Michael Hayden (as Director of the CIA (2006-present)


Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Richard Myers (2001-2005)
Peter Pace (2005-2007)
Mike Mullens (2007-present)


Attorney General

John Ashcroft (2001-2005)
Alberto Gonzales (2005-2007)
Mike Mukasey (2007-present)


Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Mitch Daniels (2001-2003)
Joshua Bolten (2003-2006)
Rob Portman (2006-2007)
Jim Nussle (2007-present)




The Counsel to the President

Alberto Gonzales (2001-2005)
Harriet Miers (2005-2007)
Fred Fielding (2007- present)

When international economic issues are on the agenda of the NSC/PC, the Committee's regular attendees will include the Secretary of Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy (who shall serve as chair for agenda items that principally pertain to international economics), and, when the issues pertain to her responsibilities, the Secretary of Agriculture. The Chief of Staff and National Security Adviser to the Vice President shall attend all meetings of the NSC/PC, as shall the Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor (who shall serve as Executive Secretary of the NSC/PC). Other heads of departments and agencies, along with additional senior officials, shall be invited where appropriate.

Assistant to the President - to name a few

Josh Bolton (2001-2003)- went on to become Chief of Staff
Karl Rove (2001-2005) - became "deputy chief of staff" in 2005 before resigning in 2007.
Harriet Miers (2001-2005) - became WH counsel before resigning in 2007.
Susan B. Ralston - (2001-2006) also "deputy" to Rove's "deputy chief of staff"

Deputy National Security Advisor

Stephen Hadley (2001-2005)
Jack Dyer Crouch (2005–2007)
James Jeffrey (2007-present)



Chief of Staff to the VP

Scooter Libby (2001-2005)
David Addington (2005-present)


National Security Adviser to the VP

Scooter Libby (2001-2005)
John Hannah (2005-present)

The NSC/PC shall meet at the call of the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, in consultation with the regular attendees of the NSC/PC. The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs shall determine the agenda in consultation with the foregoing, and ensure that necessary papers are prepared. When international economic issues are on the agenda of the NSC/PC, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy shall perform these tasks in concert.

Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs

Condoleezza Rice (2001-2005)
Stephen Hadley (2005-present)

The NSC shall meet at my direction. When I am absent from a meeting of the NSC, at my direction the Vice President may preside.

Vice-President

Dick Cheney

Named members of Team Torture

Dick Cheney
Donald Rumsfeld
Colin Powell
George Tenet
Condi Rice
John Ashcroft

[Solly Mack]

1. Kick

In case anyone wants a lists of people, other than those named, that probably attended the Team Torture meetings.

The articles never said the whole of the principals committee consisted of those named.

And if you read Bush's memo, part of the torture memos, dated February 7, 2002, you'll notice he sent the memo to (surprise surprise) members of the NSC/PC.(principals committee)

And as titles have changed over the last 7 years, those attending and under what "official" capacity they attended changed as well.

Especially worth noting is that Karl Rove most likely also attended. As did Scooter Libby. David Addington most likely as well. And Harriet Miers.

I suppose I could have spelled this out to begin with but...well...damn.

:)

[ThomWV]

2. Note: Only Condi has always had a seat at the table

Always.

[Solly Mack]

3. She sure did. And as the Chair for years

and we shouldn't forget Mary Matalin either.

She was an "assistant to the President".... She also held the title of "counselor to the VP"