The NSC System

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00506R000100130029-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 12, 2000
• Sequence Number: 29
• Content Type: REPORT

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V
The {CSC Sys~e
This section summarizes briefly the structure of the NSC system and
the Department's role in it, discusses the response to NSC study-and decision
memoranda, and describes the functioning of the Under Secretaries Commit-
- `tee.
The NSC system is three-tiered with the Council itself at the top, the
NSC Review and Operational Groups in t.hc middle, and the Interdepart-
mentalGroups at the base.
?1. The National Security Council
The Council itself is made up of the Presidcnt as Chairman, the Vice
Presidcnt and the Secretaries of State and Defense. The Chairman of the
? Joint Cl2iefs of Staff is the military advisor and the Director of Central
Intelligence (DCl) is the intelligence advisor to t}ie Council. These two
officials or their representatives attend all meetings of the Council and its
subgroups. Other Cabinet officers, agency heads, or other senior US offi-
vials may be invited to attend meetings of the NSC or its subgroups dcpenci-
ing on tltc issues being considered. The Assistant to the President for National
Security Affairs is the chief supervisory officer of the NSC system and the
NSC staff. Secretary Kissinger attends the Council meetings as Assistant to the
Presidcnt, so the State Department is represented at NSC meetings by the
Deputy Secretary. 1'he Council does not have regularly scheduled meetings..
2. Principal Subgroups of the NSC
The NSC subgroups are divided into three general categories:
a. Intcrdepartmcntal Groups
The foundation of the NSC system is a series of Intcrdcpartmcntal
Groups (IGs) at the Assistant Secretary level. ;l'Itere arc six of these groups-
The tVSC SyYtem
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~_.Africa, Latin America, East Asia, Near and Middle East, Europe,-Politico-
d
f
ing on the issue to be considered. These groups draft the basic papers, usually
in response to National Security Study Memoranda (NSSMs), which form the
State an
`Iviilitary--each chaired by the approprrate Assistant Secretary o
comprising representatives of the Defense Department, JCS, CIA, USIA, AID,
NSC staff and other agencies such as Treasury, Commerce, OMI3, etc., dcpcnd??
Uasis of NSC consideration of an issue.
b. Review Groups
There are four groups in this category, each chaired by the Assistant
to the. President for National Security Affairs, and with representation at the
Deputy or Under Secretary level, although. the Chairman, JCS, and the DCI
are also members. These groups review the work of the IGs, refining issues and
options in preparation for sub-nission to the President and discussion of the
issue in a full NSC meeting. 'T'hey are:
-Senior Review Group (SRG). The workhorse of the system at the
.Deputy Secretary level. Concerned primarily with policy oriented
issues. .
-Verification Panel (VP). Concerned primarily with technical
analysis to help develop choices in such matters as strategic arms
limitation, mutual and balanced force reductions in Europe, and
other major arms control subjects. As its name implies, the VP
places great emphasis on the verifiability of compliance with the
terms of any agreement in this area.
--Defense Program Review Committee (DPRC}. Deals with major
issues of defense policy, posture and budgetary support. Integrates
consideration of strategic international political and economic im-
plications of defense programs and relates these programs and
resource requirements to overall national priorities and the Federal
budget. ? .
? --Intelligence Committee (IC): Provides guidance to the intelligence
community on intelligence needs o# top policymakers, and evalu-
ates intelligence products.
c, Operational Groups
There are two groups in this category: In contrast to the review
groups described above, which opcratc as an issue is being developed for con-
; sidcration by the President, these two groups opcratc within the general frame-
,?work of already determined policy.
--Washington Special Actions Group (WSAG). A high-level task force,
responsib c or ensuring coo`rdinatto ~alTelcments of USG activ-
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Tho NSC Systom
V-2 ,,..-.,,~*,~
 -Under Secretaries Committee (L1SC). The bod which ensure
ity--palit}cal, military, economic--in crisis situations. Serves as a
,management team assuring flexible anrd timely action by the vari-
ous departments in the context of Presidential decisions in a
.:fast-developing situation. Phis group is chaired by the Assistant to
h
t
e President and includes representatives at the Deputy Secretary
`level
th
Ch
i
m
,
e
a
r
an, JCS and the DCI.
'' effective and uniform execution of the President's foreign policy
Lists of Members of IVSC Groups
ava. J, uJU-
ally in response to National Security Decision Memoranda (NSDMs),
to implement policy decisions. Also undertal;es studies on
i
a var
ety
of subjects which, because of their nattue, require initial attention
at a level higher than that of the Interdepartmental Groups. This
group is chaired by the Deputy Secretary of State, with represen-
t
i
h
at
on at t
e Deputy or Under Secretary level.
a. National Security Council
The President, Chairman
The Vice President
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
Chairman.. of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--Military Advisor
Director of Central Intelligence--Intelligence Advisor
Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs--
Chief Supervisory Officer of the NSC System
1) Senior Review Group
NSC Subi;roups
Assistant to the President, Chairman
Deputy Secretary of State
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
Director, Central Intelligence
Chairman, JCS
Defense Program Review Committee
Ass}slant to the President, C:ltairman
Deputy Secretary of State
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Director, Central Intelligence
Chairman, JCS
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Director, OMB
Chairman, CEA ~ '
 3) Verification Panel
Assistant to tltc Presiclertt, Chairman
Deputy Secretary of State
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Director, Central Intelligence
Chairman, JCS
Director, ACDA
Into}fence Committee
Assistant to the President, Chairman
Deputy Secretary of State
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Under Secretary of the Treasury
Director, Central Intelligence
Chairman, JCS
5) Washington Specia} Actions Group
Assistant to the President, Chairman
Deputy Secretary of State
Deputy Secretary of Defcaise
Director, Central Intelligence
Chairman, JCS
Under Secretaries Cor~tmittee
Deputy Secretary of State, Chairman
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Director, Central )ntelligence
C}iairman, JCS ~ ~ .
l~ssistant to the President ?
HOW THE NSC SYSTEM WORi~S
Once it is determined that an issue involving intcrdcpartmental consid-
erations requires analysis and Presidential decision, the NSC staff hrcpares a
National Security Study Memorandwn (NSSM~ calling for a study of the issue,
freclucntly assil;ning preparation of the study to one of the )nterdcpartmental
Groups, setting a due daft, and indicating which of the NSC principal groups
wail review tite issue. Occasionally, if the issue is a highly technical one a? does
nat appropriately fall within the purview of one of the LGs, an ad hoc group
3s created to prepare the study. ,
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? erntions are involved; and some of the likely operational consequences that
anal outlining the viable alternative courses of action which the US might ptrr-
su~'to achieve these objectives. Por each alternative, the paper indicates the
advantages and disadvantages of that option; the cost, if budgetary consid-
defining the issues requiring Presidential decision, setting forth US objectives
The Interdepartmental Group or ad line group drafts the basic paper,
' :might flow from a decision to pursue that course of action.
Council. ~ -
will be prepared for the President, outlining the issue and the alternative
courses of action, and conveying the agreed recommendation. If, as is more
likely, there are differences of opinion among the departments as to the pre-
ferred course of action, the matter may be referred to the National Security
.President. If such a consensus develops at the Deputy Secretary level, a paper
tianal courses of action, a request for additional information, or occasionally,
.agreement among the agencies on a coruse of action to recommend to the
The Senior Review Group then meets to consider the paper. This review
3. Review of the NSSM Response
may result in a refinement of the issues, the recasting or development of addi-
the President containing the basic paper and each agency's recommendations.
At the NSC meeting, with the President in the chair, the Assistant to the
President outlines the issue and the alternative courses of action, and the
President requests comments and recommendations from each NSC member.
In addition to arguing for leis o~vn favored course of action, each NSC mem-
ber has the opportunity to rebut the arguments of other members with which
Prior to the NSC meeting, the NSC staff prepares a briefing book for
he does not agree.
.The NS[7M
Fallowing the NSC meeting, often with further consideration of the
written material,. the President will make his decision among the courses pf
action recommended by the various agencies. At this time, the NSC staff
prepares a National Security Decision Memorandum (NSDM) conveying as
precisely as passible the President's decision and tasking t}ie Under Secre-
taries Committee or the departments with development and implementation
of operational plans to carry out the decision.
D. PREPARING RESPONSES TO NSSMs
The Executive Secretary {S/S) receives the NSSM from the NSC staff and',
after consultation with S/P, assigns action to an Assistant Secretary. Often the
Tho NSC System
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 The tG and Working Groups
? The designated Assistant Secretary has primary responsibility for setting
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'~t~JI~'4 ttscl~spc~ Jcs t tc 1 ; somcttmcs tt does not. ~ ~ slue tcs, s tort of
full NSSMs, sire t~ually handled the satnc way as NSS~1 r~onscs. Ceti uccasion,
S/P chairs a st>.u y, particti ar y w ten sevcra urcaus iti tlic llcpartntcnt arc in-
drafts.'1'he Executive Secretariat plays no role iti this process since the As-
sistartt Secretary is functioning in his capacity as Chairman of an NSC Inter-
up of tlic IG working group and the calling of meetings of the IG to review
dep
The actual drafting of the NSSM response is generally done by the IG
randum from the Assistant Secretary to the Assistant to the President for
National Security Affairs. {See IV. MEMORANDA FOR THE WI'.LT);
HOUSE) _ ,~ ~ .
:working group and reviewed by the IG. The document is prepared as a n)emo-
--This memorandum is not normally reviewed by a seventh Moor
. Principal and is oat staffed by the Executive Secretariat.
--The NSSM response is, however, sent to the NSC via Sf S-I, Rm. 7241,
or logging, distribution in the Department, and transmittal to the
White House.'I'he action bureau must deliver the original plus 41
copies to SJS-I (30 if NODIS). The NSC wants 25 copies; the rest are
for internal Department distribution.
When the NSC receives the NSSM response the NSC cixculates it to all
involved government agencies for agency positions on the options presented.
The Department receives its copy for comment. At this point the action
Assistant Secretary must make certain that the appropriate sevct)th Hoar
Principal (not including the Secretary) reviews the Department's proposed
position or comments, which are normally submitted t.o the White House
under a Springstcen-Scowcroft memorandwn (cleared by the appropriate
seventh floor Principal). On occasion of interdepartmental dispute, however,
the Deputy Secretary or Under Secretary for Political-Affairs could send
comments to the Assistant to the- President for National Security Affairs.
It isJessential that all persons involved in NSSMs realize that Secretary
Kissin ,er wi11 not address policy matters under his Secretary of State hat
w rich Ile will have to consider in his rule as Assistant to tltc President for
National Security Matters.
Commenting an NSSM Responses
Th? NSC System
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The NSC Under Secretaries Committee (USC), one of the six main
the ICs. The Under Secretaries Committee:
subgroups of the National Securit}' Council, rs charred by the Deputy
Secretary of State. Its membership is at a subcabinet level more senior than
--prepares studies which result ltl Opt1017S and rCCOt7]177Cndat10I1S
which arc submitted to the President by t17c Chairman.
--monitors and coordinates certain ongoing negotiations and
progran7s, and. the implementation of certain foreign policy
decisions.
The USC undertakes preparation of studies or monitoring and
dent for National Security Affairs. The Chairman of the USC has also taken
the initiative in calling for the preparation of some studies. Members of the
USG also, on occasion, request that the Committee ui7dertake consideration
of an issue.
Studies prepared by the USC are cleared at the Deputy or Under
Secretary level and frequently include specific recomn~cndations and.
statements of agency views. The completed reports are sent fron7 the
Chairman of the USC to the President,
the President, conveyed in directions issued by the Assistant to the Presi-
coordination on a wide variety of subjects in response to requests from
2. USC Membership and Staff
The membership o# the Under.Secretaries Committee includes:
--the Deputy Secretary of State (Chairman);
--the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs:
-the Deputy Secretary of Defense;
--the Director of Central Intelligence;
--the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Other agencies are added on an ad hoc basis, depending on the issue under
consideration.
The Staff Director of the NSC Under Secretaries Committee reports to
the Deputy Secretary of State as Chairman, and is also a member of the Policy
P}arming Staff (S/P). He is responsible for both the administrative and sub-
stantive coordination of all business before the Under Secretaries Coinmittce.
Responsibility for preparation of Under Secretaries Conunittcc reports
is normally assigned to an appropriate bureau in the Department of State. The
bureau, in turn, establishes an interagency working group.
? The NSC System
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lob, or move USC papers c~cept at the initial and final stages. The USC znairt-
tainsits own ocument control system within the Department of State.
Tha USC and the State Department
The,; Under Secretaries Committee is an ann of the National Security
Council and is trot a comrnittec of the Department of State. Therefore, al-
tliougl- the Executive Secretariat works in close coordination with the Chair-
man of the USC and with the USC staff director, S/S does-not task, staff,
logs out of tlye Department memoranda to the Preside~it from the
chit all action memoranda for the USC. This document is ]ogged in
$/S-1 but circulated by the USC. ~ , .. .
-issues to the USC staff director under an S/5 Wltite House document
The executive Secretariat: r
USC Chairman.
The NSC Systorn
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