Obama's NSC Takes Power

Under the leadership of national security advisor Gen. James L. Jones (ret.), the Obama NSC has moved to assert greater White House control over the policymaking process. In official Washington, who’s in the room as well as who runs the meetings can be a key source of power and influence. It is therefore worth noting that Jones has directed NSC officials to lead interagency meetings with their counterparts not only at the principals and deputies level, but also in regional interagency working groups that were previously headed by State Department officials.