(CNN) The Trump administration prevented President-elect Joe Biden's transition team from meeting with its counterparts at Pentagon intelligence agencies this week, according to a former senior intelligence official familiar with intelligence transition discussions. The slowdown means the Biden team has not yet been able to meet with officials from the military intelligence agencies within the Defense Department -- including the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency -- even as all other meetings by Biden review teams appear to be happening smoothly now after weeks of delay. The Pentagon denies any effort to stymie the President-elect's team. A senior defense official told CNN that briefings had taken place on Friday for transition officials on military matters, including senior-level policy and international security issues, but not on intelligence. The Washington Post first reported on the Biden team's problems with the Defense Department transition office, which is led by a Trump loyalist connected to efforts to spread conspiracy theories about the President-elect.

Source: The Nation December 05, 2020 03:08 UTC