Combating Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

development and implementation of national security policy. It is intended to be a flexibleinstrument, “a forum available to Cabinet-level officials to meet to discuss and resolveissues not requiring the President’s participation.”The National Security Advisor chairs the Principals Committee. Its members include:• the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (chair)• the Secretary of State (or Deputy Secretary)• the Secretary of Defense (or Deputy Secretary)• the U.S. Representative to the United Nations• the Director of Central Intelligence• the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff• the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy• the Assistant to the Vice President for National Security Affairs (added inJanuary 1997)The Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, and other heads of departments andagencies are invited as needed. The Secretaries of Energy and Commerce, or theirDeputies, are routinely invited to Principals Committee meetings involving proliferationrelatedissues. As a result of the internal Administration negotiations concerningreorganization of the foreign affairs agencies, PDD/NSC-65 provides that the UnderSecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security/Senior Advisor to thePresident for Arms Control, Non-Proliferation and Disarmament is invited to attendmeetings concerning matters pertaining to arms control, proliferation, and disarmament.Other members of the White House staff, including the President’s Chief of Staff, theDirector of the Office of Management and Budget, and the Deputy Assistant to thePresident for National Security Affairs, may also attend, depending on the agenda.NSC Deputies Committee. The Deputies Committee, also established by PDD/NSC-2,is the senior sub-Cabinet interagency forum for consideration of policy issues affectingnational security. The function of the Committee, according to PDD/NSC-2, is to reviewand monitor the work of the NSC interagency process and to focus attention on policyimplementation.Members of the Deputies Committee include:• the Deputy Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (chair)8