Pentagon Wants To Cut Its Support For CIA’s Counter-Terrorism Missions

The Pentagon wants to cut the majority of its logistical support for the CIA, which the agency uses for counter-terrorism missions.

The Pentagon has told the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) that it is considering ending majority of the military support it provides to the agency’s counter-terrorism missions, according to a former senior administration intelligence official, Defense One reported.

The CIA uses a sector within its agency called the Special Activities Center (SAC) to carry out worldwide covert operations. Within this compartmentalized sector in the CIA is its own paramilitary force that carries out counter-terrorism operations. However, while this inner sector acts as an independent arm, the paramilitary team often relies on the Department Of Defense (DOD) military for transportation services and logistics support.

It is unknown how the decision would impact the CIA’s global counter-terrorism missions. But Defense One said they would instead be used for missions related to competition with Russia and China.

According to the former official, acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller sent a letter to CIA Director Gina Haspel outlining the decision.

One official told the Defense-based media agency that the Pentagon was basically pulling the rug from out under the CIA, and asking them to carry out their missions, expressing that this could cause deaths, and if it does it will be a big scandal.

“It’s basically going to ask the CIA to carry the burden for two-and-a-half months and pull the rug out from under them at the same time,” said the former official. “If they start dying in Afghanistan, this is going to be a big deal.”

“Much has changed in the first two decades of this century, and DOD simply is working with CIA to ensure that both DOD and CIA are able to jointly confront the national security challenges facing the United States consistent with the NDS,” he added. “DOD also believes that discussions with our partners should proceed quickly.”

ABC News also spoke to a former NAVY SEAL Eric Oehlerich who commented on the Pentagon’s proposed action to pull back support for the CIA, stating the Pentagon “could only be motivated for political reasons.”

“The relationships on the ground and within the ranks is on solid ground,” Oehlerich, told ABC News. “Pulling this support is akin to cutting off your nose to spite your face. “