In the case of the options meeting concerning Syria at the White House on Friday, it seems clear that what was briefed was a set of options generated by the Joint Staff. In this meeting the president/CinC met with the chiefs to discuss the options and their secondary effects. Others may have been invited; the DNI, the Director of CIA, the Secretary of State, the CENTCOM commander, but they would essentially be “strap hangers”, i.e., observers at what was essentially a JCS “show.” An accomplished briefer would have presented the Courses of Action. This would be followed by discussion led by General Dunford, CJCS.