Trump Administration Limited Congress' Access to Pyongyang-Related Intelligence - Reports

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th October, 2018) The administration of US President Donald Trump has significantly restricted access to intelligence reports on North Korea for the members of the US Congress and some of the lawmakers fear that it could indicate an acceleration in Pyongyang's nuclear program, the CBS News reported on Friday citing congressional sources.

The news outlet reported that the new rules, which had been implemented a few weeks ago, granted direct access to the intelligence on North Korea only to party leaders in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and to the most senior members of the foreign relations or intelligence committees and their chairs. Previously, almost all of the reports were available to every member of the committees, the outlet added.

"It is not a good look. It is very telling that they are doing this. We can't prove it, but it is an indication that there could be a significant problem. The reports could give alarming details that they don't want out there in the public theater," a senior member of the Senate staff was quoted as saying by the outlet.

According to the outlet, some members of the Congress have expressed fear that the limited access would prevent the legislature from receiving US intelligence about the developments in Pyongyang's nuclear program.

"Usually there has been higher clearance level required for this administration than in the past, but at very minimum intelligence staffers can see it or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff. But this is bigger and more restrictive because not even staff are allowed to see it," another congressional source was quoted as saying by the outlet.

Meanwhile, the relations between the United States and North Korea seem to be gradually improving. In June, Trump held an unprecedented summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, where Kim pledged to make efforts to promote complete denuclearization of the peninsula and aim to reach a lasting peace in the region.

�Preparations are currently underway for the second summit between the two leaders. Earlier in October, media reported that the summit might take place in Europe in the middle of November after Trump's visit to France. Prior to that, US National Security Adviser John Bolton said that the second US-North Korea summit was expected to be held "in the next couple of months."

However, Washington has not lifted its sanctions imposed on North Korea for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile tests.