February 02, 2017
Bannon’s ‘Strategic Initiatives’ Cabal Inside the NSC Is Dangerous Hypocrisy
It has been a tough few days for the National Security Council. The news that Trump’s political guru Stephen Bannon secured a place on the NSC’s Principals Committee was troubling enough, but the creation of a Bannon-led “Strategic Initiatives Group” within the NSC further erodes its stature, independence, and influence.
We would be the first to say that the NSC is imperfect. As two people who worked in President Barack Obama’s White House, and who were designated to lead Hillary Clinton’s NSC “landing team” had she won the presidency, we’ve thought a lot about how to make the NSC and interagency process work better — something we’ll have a lot more to say about at Shadow Government. For now, suffice to say that in almost every way, Trump’s team has done the opposite of what we would suggest. This kind of “disruption” may feel good right now and may send Washington’s Twitterverse into apoplectic frenzy — but Trump will soon learn that it will only bring dysfunction, and likely worse. Dust off your histories of Iran-Contra to get a sense of what may come.
Read the full article at Foreign Policy.
More from CNAS
-
Ukraine Negotiations: Prospects and Pitfalls of Peace
Podcast
This week Brussels Sprouts breaks down the latest negotiations on Ukraine. American officials told reporters that they had resolved or closed gaps around 90 percent of their d...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
-
Can the Global Order Be Saved? Not Without Punishing Russia
Commentary
The only way to succeed in the urgent task of achieving a just peace settlement, therefore, is radically reshaping Russia’s calculus....
By Nicholas Lokker
-
CNAS Insights | Russia Is Winning the Battle for Influence in Nigeria
Commentary
Across Africa, Russia and its proxies are well known for providing security and extracting wealth. In the Sahel the Wagner Group, and subsequently the Russian Defense Ministry...
By Kate Johnston
-
Transatlantic Tensions in the New National Security Strategy
Podcast
On December 4th, the Trump administration released its long-awaited national security strategy, sending another round of shock waves through the transatlantic community. The N...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor & Jim Townsend
