US President Donald Trump today removed his close-aide Steve Bannon from the highly sensitive National Security Council, reversing his controversial decision to give him access to the high-level meetings.
National Security Council (NSC) is the principal forum used by the President for consideration of national security and foreign policy matters with senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials.
Bannon's removal by Trump from National Security Council was notified in a presidential memorandum. The decision in this regard to constitute the new team was done by Trump's new National Security Advisor Lt Gen H R McMaster.
The new memorandum, restores the status of CIA Director, and chairman of the US military's Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Director of National Intelligence, which were initially downgraded.
"Susan Rice operationalised the NSC during the last administration. I was put on to ensure that it was de-operationalised. General McMaster has returned the NSC to its proper function," Bannon was quoted as saying by The Wall Street Journal.
Critics had said Bannon's presence in a national security policy-making structure risked politicising foreign policy.
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