But despite being presented with options, including a diplomatic protest and sanctions, the White House authorized no response. Officials said there was disagreement among intelligence officials about the strength of the evidence about the suspected Russian plot and the evidence linking the attack on the Marines to the suspected Russian plot, but they did not detail those disputes. Notably, the National Security Agency, which specializes in hacking and electronic surveillance, has been more skeptical about interrogations and other human intelligence, officials said. Typically, the president is formally briefed when the information has been vetted and seen as sufficiently credible and important by the intelligence professionals. Former officials said that in previous administrations, accusations of such profound importance — even if the evidence was not fully established — were conveyed to the president.

Source: New York Times June 30, 2020 02:15 UTC