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The White House Situation Room was developed by President Kennedy for handling national security situations. It includes conference and video rooms, updated by President George W. Bush. The space is secured with various techniques and has extensive technology for monitoring and secure communication. Visitors are sometimes shown the room.
The White House Situation Room is a complex of 5,000-square-foot (455-square-meter) rooms designed, as one might guess from the name, for handling situations critical to national security. The complex includes several conference rooms and video rooms, including rooms where the President of the United States can receive intelligence briefings, communicate securely with people from around the world, and meet with staff members.
President John F. Kennedy is credited with developing the Situation Room. After the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Kennedy argued that the president needed real-time information, a private space for dealing with security situations, and a secure environment for conferences. The result was the construction of the White House Situation Room in the basement of the West Wing of the White House.
Under President George W. Bush in 2006 and 2007, the Situation Room was substantially renovated and updated. Before the renovations, the space was cramped and much of the equipment was more than two decades old. The renovations were designed to make the space safer and more effective, and to lay the groundwork for future renovations, making it easier for the space to update to accommodate new technologies and concerns.
Like other areas of the White House, the White House situation room is secured with the use of a variety of techniques, including Secret Service personnel and video monitoring, but the complex is not buried in an underground bunker, contrary to the legend. The space is administered by National Security Council personnel, and members of the Department of Homeland Security also use the space, as does the White House Chief of Staff.
The accommodations and technology available in the White House Situation Room are quite extensive. The space includes monitoring technology to detect bugs and unauthorized electronic access, along with numerous computer terminals, television screens and video conferencing equipment. Secure telephones and other secure communication devices are also available, allowing the president to speak with foreign leaders and US government representatives without fear of being overheard.
Sometimes visitors to the White House are shown the Situation Room. Several actors have been invited to visit for research, and heads of state and government officials can meet the President or the President’s staff in the Situation Room. While the suite of rooms is primarily focused on creating a space to meet on intelligence matters and related topics, the Situation Room has also been used for more informal, unrelated purposes.
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