But those remain our prime directives now more than ever.

He's exactly the type that the prime directive was created to ride herd on.

Think you know your way around the prime directive?

It wasn't hot enough to break the prime directive.

The prime directives under which I operate are very clear.

Under his watch, current and former staff members said, there have been two prime directives, both of which could come back to haunt the candidate.

He said, "I don't think the prime directive is particularly applicable here, though.

Perhaps that's the reason for the prime directive, to make us think twice before we do meddle.

They've seen what we can do, how we have learned that, with them, the prime directive does not apply.

It seems that, all too often, the intent of the prime directive is corrupted.