Experts in the U.S. say a Department of Defense threat to end counterterrorism funding for the Central Intelligence Agency is "alarmist," according to an exclusive report.

Analysts said the decision was taken by political appointees of President Donald Trump at the Pentagon.

The department currently provides support to the agency around the world - including personnel, material and physical security in Afghanistan and other combat zones.

The experts worry any withdrawal might put in danger CIA officers still active in combat zones from which the U.S. military is withdrawing - at least until president-elect Joe Biden comes into office Jan. 20, Defense One reported in an exclusive story this week.

"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," a former official said. "If they start dying in Afghanistan, this is going to be a big deal."

The CIA remains confident the Pentagon will change its mind. "There is no stronger relationship nor better partnership than that between the CIA and the department," Nicole de Haay, a CIA representative, said.

"That partnership has led to accomplishments that significantly advanced U.S. national security, and we are confident that DoD and CIA will continue this close collaboration for years to come."

If carried out, the decision, which CIA leaders said took them by surprise, will take effect Jan. 5. It will deprive the CIA of men, material and transportation support and the special operations forces that work with it on counter terrorism operations.

The CIA's special activities center that conducts worldwide counter terrorism missions and covert operations will be substantially affected, analysts said.

The Pentagon routinely assigns Seal Team Six and Delta Force to the center for clandestine or covert operations the U.S. doesn't want to be linked to.

Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller sent a letter to CIA Director Gina Haspel outlining the decision.

Shifting away from supporting the CIA's counterterrorism backs reorienting the military's concentration on preparing for war or limited conflicts against either Russia or China and away from the regional wars in the Middle East, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Uriah Orland said.

"As a responsible actor, the department has taken a look to better align its allocation of resources with the 2018 National Defense Strategy's shift to great power competition," Orland said.

"Much has changed in the first two decades of this century, and the department simply is working with CIA to ensure that both the department and the agency are able to jointly confront the national security challenges facing the U.S. consistent with the national defense strategy," he said.

The Pentagon's decision is "highly irregular" because the CIA's counterterrorism missions can no longer be executed by the CIA without U.S. military support, according to Darrell Blocker, a former deputy director of the CIA's counterterrorism center.

"The pushback or slow rolling of this initiative by the department and the CIA likely renders this moot - but the damage from this shot across the bow has been done," said Blocker.