Role Descriptions for ICME

INTERNATIONAL CRISIS MANAGEMENT EXERCISE 2012

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL ROLE DESCRIPTIONS

National Security Council description: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/nsc/

Role descriptions gleaned from numerous web sources. These role descriptions have not been verified by valid
sources and are intended to be for educational purposes only, in order to enhance this exercise.

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

The National Security Council (NSC) is the President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign
policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception under President
Truman, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies.
The Council also serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government
agencies.

The NSC is chaired by the President. Its regular attendees (both statutory and non-statutory) are the Vice President,
the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the statutory military advisor to the Council, and
the Director of National Intelligence is the intelligence advisor. The Chief of Staff to the President, Counsel to the
President, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy are invited to attend any NSC meeting. The
Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are invited to attend meetings pertaining
to their responsibilities. The heads of other executive departments and agencies, as well as other senior officials, are
invited to attend meetings of the NSC when appropriate.

The National Security Council was established by the National Security Act of 1947 (PL 235 - 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C. 402),
amended by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.). Later in 1949, as
part of the Reorganization Plan, the Council was placed in the Executive Office of the President.

AMBASSADOR TO NATO

The United States Permanent Representative to NATO (commonly called the US Ambassador to NATO) is the
official representative of the United States to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The Representative has the rank
of full ambassador and is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The full official title of the
Representative is “United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary”. The current U.S. Ambassador to NATO is
Ivo Daalder. He was appointed United States Permanent Representative on the Council of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, by President Barack
Obama in May 2009. He was a Director for European Affairs on President Clinton's National Security Council staff
from 1995 to 1997, where he was responsible for coordinating U.S. policy toward Bosnia.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO): Formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty,
NATO is a security alliance of 28 countries from North America and Europe. NATO's fundamental goal is to safeguard
the Allies' freedom and security by political and military means. As we approach the celebration of the Alliance's
60th anniversary at the NATO Summit in Strasbourg-Kehl April 2009, NATO remains the principal security
instrument of the transatlantic community and expression of its common democratic values. It is the practical means
through which the security of North America and Europe are permanently tied together. NATO enlargement has
furthered the U.S. goal of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.

Article 5 of the Washington Treaty -- that an attack against one Ally is an attack against all -- is at the core of the
Alliance, a promise of collective defense. Article 4 of the treaty ensures consultations among Allies on security
matters of common interest, which after 60 years have expanded from a narrowly defined Soviet threat to the critical
mission in Afghanistan, as well as peacekeeping in Kosovo and new threats to security such as cyber attacks, and
global threats such as terrorism and piracy that affect the Alliance and its global network of partners.

In addition to its traditional role in the territorial defense of Allied nations, NATO leads the UN-mandated
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and has ongoing missions in the Western Balkans, the
Mediterranean, and Iraq; it also conducts extensive training exercises and offers security support to partners around
the globe, including the European Union in particular but also the United Nations and the African Union.


The National Security Council (NSC) is the President's principal forum for considering national security and
foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception under
President Truman, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and
foreign policies. The Council also serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these policies among
various government agencies.

The NSC is chaired by the President. Its regular attendees (both statutory and non-statutory) are the Vice
President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the
President for National Security Affairs. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the statutory military advisor
to the Council, and the Director of National Intelligence is the intelligence advisor. The Chief of Staff to the
President, Counsel to the President, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy are invited to attend
any NSC meeting. The Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are invited to
attend meetings pertaining to their responsibilities. The heads of other executive departments and agencies, as
well as other senior officials, are invited to attend meetings of the NSC when appropriate.

The National Security Council was established by the National Security Act of 1947 (PL 235 - 61 Stat. 496; U.S.C.
402), amended by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.). Later in
1949, as part of the Reorganization Plan, the Council was placed in the Executive Office of the President.

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA), headed by Assistant Secretary Jeffrey Feltman, deals with U.S. foreign
Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs

policy and U.S. diplomatic relations with Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon,
Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and
Yemen. Regional policy issues that NEA handles include Iraq, Middle East peace, terrorism and weapons of mass
destruction, and political and economic reform.

The Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs is a key diplomatic office within the Department of State. According to the
Bureau, it promotes U.S political and economic interests throughout the region. Instability in the Middle East
directly affects U.S political and economic interests; therefore, the promotion of peace and democracy is a key
initiative for the NEA. This initiative is seen throughout NEA’s objectives including: helping to rebuild and
promote stability in Iraq, helping to resolve the Palestinian and Israeli conflict, counterterrorism and supporting
efforts for political and economic reform in the region. NEA works with the Global Coalition Against Terrorism,
the US Agency for International Development, and the Middle East Partnership Initiative.


foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception
under President Truman, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national
security and foreign policies. The Council also serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these
policies among various government agencies.

President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to
the President for National Security Affairs. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the statutory military
advisor to the Council, and the Director of National Intelligence is the intelligence advisor. The Chief of Staff to
the President, Counsel to the President, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy are invited to
attend any NSC meeting. The Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are
invited to attend meetings pertaining to their responsibilities. The heads of other executive departments and
agencies, as well as other senior officials, are invited to attend meetings of the NSC when appropriate.

The National Security Council was established by the National Security Act of 1947 (PL 235 - 61 Stat. 496;
U.S.C. 402), amended by the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 (63 Stat. 579; 50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.).
Later in 1949, as part of the Reorganization Plan, the Council was placed in the Executive Office of the
President.

ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR ECONOMIC POLICY

Gene B. Sperling is Director of the National Economic Council and Assistant to the President for Economic
Policy. He was appointed by President Barack Obama on January 7, 2011.

The National Economic Council (NEC) was established in 1993 to advise the President on U.S. and global
economic policy. It resides within the Office of Policy Development and is part of the Executive Office of the
President. By Executive Order, the NEC has four principal functions: to coordinate policy-making for domestic
and international economic issues, to coordinate economic policy advice for the President, to ensure that
policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's economic goals, and to monitor
implementation of the President's economic policy agenda.

The NEC is comprised of numerous department and agency heads within the administration, whose policy
jurisdictions impact the nation's economy. The NEC Director works in conjunction with these officials to
coordinate and implement the President's economic policy objectives. The Director is supported by a staff of
policy specialists in various fields including: agriculture, commerce, energy, financial markets, fiscal policy,
healthcare, labor, and Social Security.




President.

Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs/ Director Office of Legislative Affair (Rob Nabors)

The Director of Congressional and Legislative Affairs discharges the duties of the Secretary with the authority
and direct responsibility for programs associated with legislative and congressional liaison activities. He
serves as the Department's principal liaison with Congressional Committees and individual Members of
Congress, and as the Department's congressional and legislative liaison with the White House. He
communicates the policies of the Department and the viewpoints of the Secretary regarding Congressional
issues, and programs and matters of interest to the Department as requested by Members of Congress. In
addition, he supervises the coordination, unification, and preparation of the Department's legislative
programs, and its presentation to the Office of Management and Budget, and maintains a general oversight
role in relation to congressional and legislative activities of the various bureaus and offices.

The Legislative Counsel is responsible for clearance of materials within the Department and through the
Office of Management and Budget. The Legislative Counsel reviews legislative documents prepared by
Departmental bureaus and offices, and monitors the preparation of coordinated reports. Also, he coordinates
Departmental representation at Congressional hearings and ensures the presentation of testimony and
reports to Congress. He is responsible for establishing and maintaining contacts on legislative matters with
the Congress and with other Federal agencies.




President.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see 28 U.S.C. § 503)
concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The
Attorney General is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government. The Attorney General serves as
a member of the President's Cabinet, but is the only cabinet department head who is not given the title
Secretary, besides the now independent Postmaster General.

The Attorney General is nominated by the President of the United States and takes office after confirmation
by the United States Senate. He or she serves at the pleasure of the President and can be removed by the
President at any time; the Attorney General is also subject to impeachment by the House of Representatives
and trial in the Senate for "treason, bribery, and other high crimes and misdemeanors."

The office of Attorney General was established by Congress by the Judiciary Act of 1789. The original duties of
this officer were "to prosecute and conduct all suits in the Supreme Court in which the United States shall be
concerned, and to give his advice and opinion upon questions of law when required by the President of the
United States, or when requested by the heads of any of the departments." Only in 1870 was the Department
of Justice established to support the Attorney General in the discharge of his responsibilities.

As of February 3, 2009, the current Attorney General is Eric Holder. He is the 82nd Attorney General of the
United States and the first African-American to hold the position.


foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception under
President Truman, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and
foreign policies. The Council also serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these policies among
various government agencies.



CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States
armed forces, and the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security
Council, and the Secretary of Defense. The Chairman outranks all respective heads of each service branch but
does not have operational command authority over them or their service branches. He leads the meetings and
coordinates the efforts of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), comprising the Chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, the Chiefs of Staff of the United States Army and United States Air Force, the Chief of Naval
Operations, and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. The Joint Chiefs of Staff have offices in The Pentagon.

Although the office of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is considered very important and highly prestigious,
neither the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff as a body have any command authority
over combatant forces. The Goldwater-Nichols Act places the chain of command from the President to the
Secretary of Defense directly to the commanders of the Unified Combatant Commands. However the chiefs do
have authority over personnel assignments and oversight over resources and personnel allocated to the
combatant commands within their respective services. The Chairman may also transmit communications to the
combatant commanders from the President and Secretary of Defense as well as allocate additional funding to
the combatant commanders if necessary. He also performs all other functions prescribed under 10 U.S.C. § 153
or allocates those duties and responsibilities to other officers in the joint staff under his name.

The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is assisted by the Director of the Joint Staff, a three-star officer who
assists the Chairman with the management of the Joint Staff, an organization composed of approximately equal
numbers of officers contributed by the Army, the Navy and Marine Corps, and the Air Force, who have been
assigned to assist the Chairman with the unified strategic direction, operation, and integration of the combatant
land, naval, and air forces.

General Martin Dempsey is the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest-ranking officer in the
U.S. Armed Forces and the President's principal military advisor. Prior to this duty, General Dempsey served as
the 37th Chief of Staff of the Army, and commanding general, U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command from
December 8, 2008-April 11, 2011.




President.

CHIEF OF STAFF TO THE PRESIDENT

Every day, the President of the United States is faced with scores of decisions, each with important
consequences for America's future. To provide the President with the support that he needs to govern
effectively, the Executive Office of the President (EOP) was created in 1939 by President Franklin D.
Roosevelt. The EOP has responsibility for tasks ranging from communicating the President's message to the
American people to promoting our trade interests abroad. The EOP, overseen by the White House Chief of
Staff, has traditionally been home to many of the President's closest advisers.

It is the chief of staff who helps the president plan his schedule and decide where to focus his attention to be
most effective in his leadership. The position was first created by Dwight Eisenhower, but he didn’t call it
chief of staff because he said “politicians think it sounds too military.” However, the duties of the chief of staff
have varied from one administration to the next. Some chiefs of staff are quite independent and help set
policy and deal with political issues. On the other end, neither Presidents John F. Kennedy nor Lyndon
Johnson used a chief of staff, but the position made a comeback in Richard Nixon’s White House. Every
president since Nixon has relied on the chief of staff, though Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter both tried to get
by without one before their duties became overwhelming.

Mr. William Daley is the Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama. Previously, Mr. Daley served as Chairman of
the Midwest Region and head of the Office of Corporate Responsibility for JP Morgan Chase. Mr. Daley also
served as President of SBC Communications from 2001 – 2004.




President.

COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT

The Office of Counsel to the President was created in 1943, and is responsible for advising on all legal aspects
of policy questions, legal issues arising in connection with the President's decision to sign or veto legislation,
ethical questions, financial disclosures, and conflicts of interest during employment and post employment.
The Counsel's Office also helps define the line between official and political activities, oversees executive
appointments and judicial selection, handles Presidential pardons, reviews legislation and Presidential
statements, and handles lawsuits against the President in his role as President, as well as serving as the White
House contact for the Department of Justice.

Although the White House Counsel offers legal advice to the President, the Counsel does so in the President's
official capacity, and does not serve as the President's personal attorney.

Kathryn Ruemmler is the current Counsel to the President.




President.

DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR

The Deputy National Security Advisor is a member of the Executive Office of the President of the United
States, serving as deputy to the President's National Security Advisor.

Among other responsibilities, the Deputy National Security Advisor serves as Executive Secretary to the
National Security Council Principals Committee, and as Chairman of the National Security Council Deputies
Committee.

Denis McDonough is currently serving as Deputy National Security Advisor.




President.

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

The Director of National Intelligence (DNI), is the United States government official subject to the authority,
direction and control of the President, who is responsible under the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism
Prevention Act of 2004 for:

Serving as the principal adviser to the President, the National Security Council, and the Homeland
Security Council for intelligence matters related to the national security;
•

Serving as the head of the sixteen-member Intelligence Community; and
Overseeing and directing the National Intelligence Program.
•
•

Under 50 U.S.C. § 403-3a, it is desired that either the Director or the Principal Deputy Director of National
Intelligence be an active duty commissioned officer in the armed forces or have training or experience in
military intelligence activities and requirements. No more than one officer can hold either position during the
same term. The statute does not specifically state what rank the commissioned officer will hold during his
tenure in either position, but trends lean towards an officer holding the rank of a four-star general or admiral.

The current DNI is retired Air Force lieutenant general, James R. Clapper.




President.

DIRECTOR OF THE CIA

The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) serves as the head of the Central Intelligence Agency,
which is part of the United States Intelligence Community. The Director reports to the Director of National
Intelligence (DNI). The Director is assisted by the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The
Director is nominated by the President, with the concurring or nonconcurring recommendation from the
Director of National Intelligence, and must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate. There is no
statutory provision which specifically excludes active military personnel from being nominated for the
position.

Before April 21, 2005, the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) headed both the Intelligence Community and
the Central Intelligence Agency. In addition, DCI served as an advisor to the President of the United States on
intelligence matters and was the statutory intelligence advisor to the National Security Council (NSC). On
April 21, 2005, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) took on the roles as head of the Intelligence
Community and principal intelligence advisor to the President and the NSC.

The post of DCI was established in 1946 by President Harry Truman; it thus predates the establishment of the
Central Intelligence Agency (created by the National Security Act of 1947). After the end of World War II, the
Office of Strategic Services was dismantled and its functions were split between the Departments of State and
War (now Defense). President Truman soon recognized the inefficiency of this arrangement and created the
Central Intelligence Group, which could be considered a smaller precursor to the National Security Council.
The following year the National Security Act of 1947 created the Central Intelligence Agency and National
Security Council, while formally defining the duties of the Director of Central Intelligence. The duties of the
DCI had been further defined over the years by tradition, congressional acts, and Executive Orders.




President.

NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR

The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security
Advisor (abbreviated NSA, or sometimes APNSA or ANSA to avoid confusion with the abbreviation of the
National Security Agency), serves as the chief adviser to the President of the United States on national
security issues. This person serves on the National Security Council within the Executive Office of the
President. The National Security Advisor's office is located in the West Wing of the White House. He or she is
supported by a staff that produces research, briefings, and intelligence for the NSA to review and present to
the National Security Council and the President of the United States.

The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the United States
Senate. As such, they are not connected to the bureaucracies of the Departments of State and Defense, and are
therefore able to offer independent advice. The power and role of the National Security Advisor varies from
administration to administration.

In times of crisis, the National Security Advisor operates from the White House Situation Room, updating the
President on the latest events of a crisis.

The current office holder is Thomas Donilon who worked as a member of President Barack Obama’s
transition team, where he vetted potential State Department officials. Since then, he has become a key
National Security Council aide.




President.

PRESIDENT’S PRESS SECRETARY

The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as
spokesperson for the government administration. Since January 27, 2011, Jay Carney is the Press Secretary to
U.S. President Barack Obama.

The Press Secretary is responsible for collecting information about actions and events within the president's
administration and around the world, and interacting with the media, generally in a daily press briefing. The
information includes items such as a summary of the President's schedule for the day, whom the president
has seen, or had communication and the official position of the administration on the news of the day.

The Press Secretary traditionally also fields questions from the White House press corps in briefings and
press conferences, which are generally televised, and "press gaggles", which are on-the-record briefings
without video recording, although transcripts are usually made available.




President.

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE

The United States Secretary of Defense (SecDef) is the head of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD),
concerned with the armed services and military matters. This position roughly corresponds to Minister of
defense in other countries. The role of the Secretary of Defense is to be the principal defense policy advisor to
the President and is responsible for the formulation of general defense policy related to all matters of direct
and primary concern to the DoD, and for the execution of approved policy. The Secretary is appointed by the
President with the approval of the Senate, and is a member of the Cabinet. By statute (10 U.S.C. § 113) the
secretary must be a civilian who has not served in the active component of the armed forces for at least seven
years. The Secretary of Defense is sixth in the presidential line of succession.

The incumbent Secretary of Defense is Leon E. Panetta. Mr. Panetta previously served as the Director of the
Central Intelligence Agency. Mr. Panetta also served as President Clinton’s White House Chief of Staff from
1994-1997.




President.

SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY

The United States Secretary of Homeland Security is the head of the United States Department of Homeland
Security, the body concerned with protecting the American homeland and the safety of American citizens. The
Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet. The position was created by the Homeland Security Act
following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new department consisted primarily of
components transferred from other cabinet departments because of their role in homeland security, such as
the Coast Guard, Federal Protective Service, Border Patrol, Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA). It did not, however, include the FBI or the CIA.

On January 20, 2009, the Senate confirmed Barack Obama's appointment of Janet Napolitano to be the third
Secretary of Homeland Security. To assure a smooth transition however, Michael Chertoff was asked not to
resign until the morning of January 21, 2009.

Traditionally, the order of the presidential line of succession is determined (after the Vice President, Speaker
of the House, and President pro tempore of the Senate) by the order of the creation of the cabinet positions,
and is mandated as such under 3 U.S.C. § 19.

On March 9, 2006, President Bush signed H.R. 3199 as Pub.L. 109-177, which renewed the Patriot Act and
amended the Presidential Succession Act to include the Secretary of Homeland Security in the line of
succession after the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (§ 503). In the 109th Congress, legislation was introduced
to place the Secretary of Homeland Security into the line of succession after the Attorney General but that bill
expired at the end of the 109th Congress and has not been re-introduced.




President.

SECRETARY OF STATE

The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with
foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in
line of succession and order of precedence. The current Secretary of State selected by President of the United
States Barack Obama is Hillary Rodham Clinton. The office of the Secretary of State is one of the most high-
profile positions in U.S. government. Three of the last four Secretaries of State have been women.

Most of the non-original domestic functions of the Department of State have been transferred to other
agencies. Those that remain include storage and use of the Great Seal of the United States, performance of
protocol functions for the White House, drafting of proclamations, and replies to inquiries. In accordance with
the United States Constitution, the Secretary performs such duties as the President requires. These include
negotiating with foreign representatives and instructing U.S. embassies or consulates abroad. The Secretary
also serves as a principal adviser to the President in the determination of U.S. foreign policy and, in recent
decades, has become responsible for overall direction, coordination, and supervision of interdepartmental
activities of the U.S. Government overseas, excepting certain military activities.

As the highest-ranking member of the cabinet, the Secretary of State is fourth in line to succeed the
Presidency, coming after the Vice President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President
pro tempore of the Senate. (See United States presidential line of succession.)

Federal law (3 U.S.C. § 20) provides that a presidential resignation must be accomplished by written
communication from the President to the office of the Secretary of State. This has occurred once, when
President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974 via a letter to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.

When there is a vacancy in the office of Secretary of State, it is exercised by another member of the cabinet, as
was common in earlier history, or, in more recent times, by a subaltern official of the State Department until
the President appoints and the United States Senate confirms a new Secretary.


The National Security Council (NSC) is the President's principal forum for considering national security and foreign
policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. Since its inception under President
Truman, the Council's function has been to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies.
The Council also serves as the President's principal arm for coordinating these policies among various government
agencies.

The NSC is chaired by the President. Its regular attendees (both statutory and non-statutory) are the Vice President,
the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the statutory military advisor to the Council,
and the Director of National Intelligence is the intelligence advisor. The Chief of Staff to the President, Counsel to
the President, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy are invited to attend any NSC meeting. The
Attorney General and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget are invited to attend meetings
pertaining to their responsibilities. The heads of other executive departments and agencies, as well as other senior
officials, are invited to attend meetings of the NSC when appropriate.


SECRETARY OF THE TREASURY

The United States of America Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury,
concerned with finance and monetary matters, and, until 2003, some issues of national security and defense. This
position in the Federal Government of the United States is analogous to the finance ministers of other countries.
Most of the Department's law enforcement agencies such as the ATF, Customs Service, and Secret Service were
reassigned to other Departments in 2003 in conjunction with the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.
The Secretary is a member of the President's Cabinet and, since the Clinton years, has sat on the United States
National Security Council. The Secretary of the Treasury is fifth in the United States presidential line of succession.

From the U.S. Department of the Treasury website:

"The Secretary of the Treasury is the principal economic advisor to the President and plays a critical role in policy-
making by bringing an economic and government financial policy perspective to issues facing the government. The
Secretary is responsible for formulating and recommending domestic and international financial, economic, and tax
policy, participating in the formulation of broad fiscal policies that have general significance for the economy, and
managing the public debt. The Secretary oversees the activities of the Department in carrying out its major law
enforcement responsibilities; in serving as the financial agent for the United States Government; and in
manufacturing coins and currency.

"The Chief Financial Officer of the government, the Secretary serves as Chairman Pro Tempore of the President's
Economic Policy Council, Chairman of the Boards and Managing Trustee of the Social Security and Medicare Trust
Funds, and as U.S. Governor of the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development."

The Secretary along with the Treasurer must sign Federal Reserve notes before they can become legal tender. The
Secretary also manages the United States Emergency Economic Stabilization fund.

The current Secretary of the Treasury is Timothy Geithner.




President.

US AMBASSADOR TO THE AFRICAN UNION

Ambassadors are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. As embassies fall within the
Department of State, Ambassadors answer to the Secretary of State. As with Cabinet members and other
Presidential appointments in the Executive Branch, it is customary for new Presidents to replace most
Ambassadors.

The African Union (abbreviated AU in English, and UA in its other official languages) is an intergovernmental
organisation consisting of 53 African states. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to
the Organisation of African Unity (OAU). The most important decisions of the AU are made by the Assembly of
the African Union, a semi-annual meeting of the heads of state and government of its member states. The AU's
secretariat, the African Union Commission, is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Among the objectives of the AU's leading institutions, are to accelerate the political and socio-economic
integration of the continent; to promote and defend African common positions on issues of interest to the
continent and its peoples; to achieve peace and security in Africa; and to promote democratic institutions,
good governance and human rights.

The African Union is made up of both political and administrative bodies. The highest decision-making organ
of the African Union is the Assembly, made up of all the heads of state or government of member states of the
AU. The Assembly is currently chaired by Bingu wa Mutharika, leader of Malawi, elected at the tenth ordinary
meeting of the Assembly in January 2009. The AU also has a representative body, the Pan African Parliament,
which consists of 265 members elected by the national parliaments of the AU member states. The current
president of the Pan African Parliament is Idriss Ndele Moussa.




President.

UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS

The United States Ambassador to the United Nations is the leader of the U.S. delegation to the United Nations.
The position is more formally known as the "Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the
United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and
Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations"; it is also known
as the U.S. Permanent Representative, or "Perm Rep", to the United Nations.

The U.S. Permanent Representative, currently Susan Rice, is charged with representing the United States on
the U.N. Security Council and during all plenary meetings of the General Assembly except in the rare situation
in which a more senior officer of the United States (such as the U.S. Secretary of State or the President of the
United States) is present. Like all United States ambassadors, he or she must be nominated by the President
and confirmed by the Senate.

Many prominent U.S. politicians and diplomats have held the post, including Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr., Adlai
Stevenson, George H. W. Bush, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Dr. Jeane Kirkpatrick, Richard Holbrooke, Dr.
Madeleine Albright, Bill Richardson, and John Danforth.

It was a cabinet-level position under the Clinton administration and is under the Obama administration as
well. It was not a cabinet-level position under the Bush administration (from 2001 to 2009).




President.

VICE PRESIDENT

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States
Constitution. The vice president, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the
people through the Electoral College to a four-year term. The vice president is the first person in the
presidential line of succession, ascending to the presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal of the
president.

Under the Constitution, the vice president is President of the Senate. By virtue of the vice president's role as
President of the Senate, he or she is the nominal head of the United States Senate. In that capacity, the vice
president is allowed to vote in the Senate, but only when necessary to break a tie vote. Pursuant to the
Twelfth Amendment, the vice president presides over the joint session of Congress when it convenes to count
the vote of the Electoral College.

While the vice president's only constitutionally prescribed functions, aside from presidential succession,
relate to his role as President of the Senate, the office is now commonly viewed as a member of the executive
branch of the federal government. The U.S. Constitution does not expressly assign the office to any one
branch, causing scholars to dispute whether it belongs to the executive branch, the legislative branch, or both.
The modern view of the vice president as a member of the executive branch is due in part to the assignment
of executive duties to the vice president by either the president or Congress, though such activities are only
recent historical developments.

The incumbent vice president is Joe Biden, previously the senior U.S. Senator from the state of Delaware, and
a current member of the Democratic Party.

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