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United States National Security Advisor

The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor, serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues. He or she serves on the National Security Council within the Executive Office of the President.

The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President without confirmation by the Senate. As such he or she is not connected to the bureaucratic politics of the Departments of State and Defense and therefore is able to offer independent advice. The power and role of the National Security Advisor varies from administration to administration.

The current National Security Advisor is Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

The list of former National Security Advisors include:

Robert Cutler 1953-55
Dillon Anderson 1955-56
Robert Cutler 1957-58
Gordon Gray 1958-61
McGeorge Bundy 1961-66
Walt Rostow 1966-69
Henry Kissinger 1969-75
Brent Scowcroft 1975-77
Zbigniew Brzezinski 1977-81
Richard V. Allen 1981-82
William Clark 1982-83
Robert McFarlane 1983-85
John Poindexter 1985-86
Frank Carlucci 1986-87
Colin Powell 1987-89
Brent Scowcroft 1989-93
Anthony Lake 1993-97
Sandy Berger 1997-01
Condoleezza Rice 2001-