ISRAEL COUNTERTERRORISM BUREAU CHIEF REQUESTS HELP

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 TEL AVIV 001865

SIPDIS

NOFORN

STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA (MAHER)
STATE FOR S/CT (AMB. CRUMPTON)
PENTAGON FOR OSD ISRAEL DESK OFFICER (ANDERSON)
NSC FOR DAS ROB DANIN
DHS FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR CRIS ARCOS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PINR KPAL KWBG EG JO IS COUNTERTERRORISM
SUBJECT: ISRAEL COUNTERTERRORISM BUREAU CHIEF REQUESTS HELP
IN DEVELOPING COOPERATION WITH DHS

Classified By: Ambassador Richard H. Jones. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (S/NF) In a May 10 meeting with Ambassador Jones, Israel
NSC Counterterrorism Bureau (CTB) Director BGEN Dani Arditi
reviewed the structure and mission of the CTB, and requested
the Ambassador's assistance in encouraging the Department of
Homeland Security to develop operational cooperation with the
CTB on counterterrorism (CT) issues. In addition, Arditi
sought the Ambassador's interpretation of the Quartet's May 9
statement's meaning with respect to the issue of Palestinian
Authority civil servant salaries, and asked for the
Ambassador's thoughts on how the "salary crisis" will play
out. Arditi showed the Ambassador a matrix that his office
has compiled which tracks the status of various aspects of
Palestinian life influenced by GOI policies, and lays out
possible means and channels whereby the GOI can address
problems. Arditi said that next week the GOI probably will
authorize payments for Palestinians to receive medical
treatment in hospitals in Jerusalem, including Augusta
Victoria hospital. The Ambassador encouraged Arditi to
consider how Israel could enhance its CT cooperation with
Egypt and Jordan. END SUMMARY.

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OVERVIEW OF THE COUNTERTERRORISM BUREAU
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2. (S/NF) Arditi reviewed with the Ambassador the structure
and mission of the Israeli NSC's Counterterrorism Bureau
(CTB). He showed how the CTB coordinates with the Mossad,
ISA, MOD, INP, and other GOI ministries on CT issues, and
effectively serves as the Prime Minister's secretariat for
all CT issues. Arditi mentioned that part of the NSC staff
will move to Jerusalem to join the PM's office now that the
GOI has been formed, but offered no details.


3. (S/NF) Arditi said that his CTB focuses on seven CT
priorities, and is responsible for defining the threat levels
to be observed at all of Israel's airports, ports, and border
crossing points and internal checkpoints. The CTB is now
focusing on chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear
terror threats, and also has a small team that works on
terror finance. Arditi said that on CT issues, he reports
directly to Mossad Chief Meir Dagan, who then reports
directly to the Prime Minister. During his briefing, Arditi
focused on the following CTB activities:


A. Travel Warnings - The CTB's one-man intelligence unit
integrates information on potential terrorist attacks and
disseminates information to all of Israel's CT agencies. It
submits weekly reports to the Prime Minister, and issues
travel warnings. Arditi noted that on May 9, a travel
warning was issued for Israelis in the Sinai, advising them
that solid intelligence indicates terrorist groups intend to
kidnap Israelis along the Red Sea coast and transport them to
the Gaza Strip.


B. Israeli Homeland Security Technologies - The aim is to set
up a working group that guides the development of such
technologies. Arditi described this as a new initiative that
will be presented to the GOI within a few months, along with
a request for funding.


C. Protection of Transportation and Critical Infrastructure -
The CTB addresses security gaps for air and sea transport,
and is in charge of a long-range program to protect critical
infrastructure. Arditi said that the GOI approved the
critical infrastructure program a few months ago, and the CTB
hopes to begin work on it soon.


D. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and
"Mega-terrorism" - The CTB is responsible for a special
program to counter five types of "mega-terrorism." Arditi
described "mega-terror" attacks as those that cause mass
casualties, significant economic damage, and/or have
long-lasting effects. Arditi clarified that the CTB provides
staff to the MOD on nonconventional terror, for which the MOD
has national responsibility.

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REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE ON COOPERATION WITH DHS
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4. (C) Arditi said that the Prime Minister tasked the CTB
over three years ago to develop operational cooperation with
the Department of Homeland Security. Arditi expressed some
frustration with not being able to fulfill this mission, and
asked the Ambassador for help in encouraging the DHS to
engage with the Israeli NSC. Arditi stressed that he was not
complaining. He said the main problem for Israel is that DHS
keeps changing its points of contact, making it impossible to
plan anything out beyond one year. Arditi handed over a
concept paper that he said DHS drew up and shared with the
NSC via the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Characterizing the paper as a possible basis for re-engaging
with the DHS, Arditi admitted that not all appropriate GOI
agencies agreed with its content. Arditi stressed that the
Israeli side is not looking for a formal binding agreement
but rather agreement on four projects that DHS and the NSC
will cooperate on in 2006-7. (NOTE: The DHS concept paper
will be sent to NEA/IPA via FAX. END NOTE.)

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CTB GRAPPLING WITH HOW TO ASSIST PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
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5. (S) Arditi also asked the Ambassador to clarify elements
of the Quartet's May 9 statement that concern direct
assistance to the Palestinians. The Ambassador said that,
contrary to some reports in the Israeli press, the Quartet
did not call for the creation of a mechanism to pay
Palestinian Authority (PA) civil service salaries. The
Ambassador encouraged Arditi and his staff to think
creatively about ways to get needed assistance (e.g., medical
supplies) to the Palestinian people without going through the
Hamas-led PA. Responding to Arditi's question about how the
Ambassador sees the PA "salary crisis" playing out, the
Ambassador said that the USG does not wish to provoke a civil
war, but wants to keep pressure on Hamas, and that refusing
to let if off the hook for payments to civil servants may
help to turn the people against Hamas. The Ambassador
stressed that our approach was similar to the use of "smart
sanctions" against Saddam so that the Palestinian people were
not punished for Hamas's uncooperative behavior.


6. (S) Arditi indicated that some time next week the GOI will
authorize payments for medical assistance to Palestinians, to
include payment for medical treatment at hospitals in
Jerusalem, including Augusta Victoria. Arditi seemed open to
considering the idea of mobilizing tax receipts to pay for
medical care, with the payments being characterized as
"stipends" for families. In this way, Hamas would not be
able to claim credit for resolving the civil service salary
crisis.


7. (S) Arditi showed the Ambassador a chart that he updates
regularly that keeps the GOI informed of the state of various
sectors of Palestinian life in the Occupied Territories for
which Israel is directly or indirectly responsible. The
areas highlighted as problem areas were disease, commerce in
the territories, and employment in Israel. Arditi also
showed the Ambassador another chart that analyzed possible
options for payment of salaries, and possible channels for
the payments. Arditi said that Egypt and Jordan might
possibly seek to play a role in this area. (NB: Arditi was
not advocating salary payments, but attempting to anticipate
possible events.)

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AMBASSADOR ENCOURAGES EXPANDING CT COOPERATION IN REGION
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8. (S) The Ambassador encouraged Arditi to look at enhancing
CT cooperation with Egypt and Jordan. Arditi characterized
cooperation with Jordan as excellent, but said that Egyptian
field contacts have been reluctant. The Ambassador suggested
that the key is to reach out to the bureaucratic center in
Cairo -- once it is won over, everything else should fall
into place. Arditi noted that he is staying in Israel while
PM Olmert visits the U.S. in two weeks so that he can be
present during Egyptian Intelligence Chief Omar Suleiman's
planned visit to Israel.

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