The White House on Friday unveiled images of the newly-renovated Situation Room where the President and top advisors through national security crises.
The Situation Room is actually a 5,500-square-foot complex of highly secure conference rooms and offices on the ground floor of the West Wing.
Perhaps the most iconic photo of the complex was taken on May 1, 2011, when President Obama and top advisers including then-Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and current Secretary of State Antony Blinken watched the Navy SEALs raid on Abbotabad, Pakistan that brought about the killing of al-Qaeda leader and 9/11 perpetrator Usama bin Laden.
The old Situation Room, which was built during the Kennedy Administration and was last upgraded in 2006, has been stripped and will be reassembled in Obama’s Presidential library.
The $50 million renovation included an upgrade of not just furniture but also technology to meet current national security demands.
“This was enhanced to the highest standard,” said Marc Gustafson, the senior director for the White House Situation Room, who oversaw the renovation. “You constantly enhance to keep up with foreign adversaries.”
