ISRAELI MILITARY INTEL CHIEF'S 2/23 MEETING WITH

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 000826 SIPDIS NOFORN DEPT FOR S/CT AMB. CRUMPTON, NEA/IPA (MAHER) PENTAGON FOR OSD ISRAEL DESK OFFICER ANDERSON E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/24/2016 TAGS: PREL PINR PTER PINS PGOV KWBG KPAL MARR MCAP MOPS ASEC EG IS JO COUNTERTERRORISM GOI EXTERNAL ISRAEL RELATIONS SUBJECT: ISRAELI MILITARY INTEL CHIEF'S 2/23 MEETING WITH S/CT COORDINATOR CRUMPTON Classified By: Amb. Richard H. Jones. Reasons: 1.4 (b, d). -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. (S/NF) In a February 23 meeting at the MOD, Israeli Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) Major General Amos Yadlin discussed with State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism (CT) Henry Crumpton (A) USG and GOI priorities in the war on terror; (B) ways to coordinate between the intelligence and policy realms; (C) bilateral CT cooperation, and (D) regional geopolitical concerns. Other Israeli participants in the meeting included the Israeli Prime Minister's CT advisor, General Dani Arditi; Eynat Shlein from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C.; and LTC Assaf Naaman. Ambassador Crumpton was joined by the Ambassador, S/CT Regional Officer Patrick Worman, the embassy Pol-Mil Officer and a representative from the Defense Attache's Office. END SUMMARY. -------------- - YADLIN ON INTELLIGENCE IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM -------------- - ¶2. (S/NF) Yadlin said that the GOI is trying to strengthen the link between intelligence and policy, and to integrate the actions of various intelligence agencies with CT responsibilities. In support of this, he noted that in the CT war, the lines of authority and responsibility are beginning to blur. Whereas Shin Bet, DMI, and Mossad responsibilities had historically been clearly delineated, that is not so now. As an example, Yadlin noted that the three major GOI concerns at the moment -- Iran, the Palestinian issue, and global jihad -- require all of Israel's intelligence services to contribute, with no single service able to cover all the requirements. When Ambassador Crumpton asked how the USG could do more to assist, Yadlin noted that improved intelligence transparency among all the services is paramount. He added that the USG and GOI need to improve cooperation on intelligence in the Middle East, especially against the global jihad target. He said that he raised this with the NSA and DoD while in Washington, D.C. Yadlin also emphasized that there are many ways that the GOI and USG could assist one another. As an example, the GOI could help with training, given Israel's expertise in Arabic language and culture. Yadlin said that the USG has better global reach and far more resources than the GOI. ¶3. (S) Yadlin said that what the U.S. faces in Iraq now is what Israel faced in March 2002, specifically in the challenges posed by suicide bombers. The Israelis were able to turn the tide through their intelligence and military success in finding and attacking terrorists. Yadlin stressed that having good intelligence was key to this success. He said that better observation systems (e.g., signals, human and imagery intelligence) and the security fence played key roles. Ambassador Crumpton emphasized the importance of integrated action when confronting the challenge of terrorism. He noted the current need to integrate the instruments of statecraft at a policy level in order to provide the context for operations to succeed. He added that new rules are necessary in the current threat environment. -------------- YADLIN ON HAMAS AND THE NEW PALESTINIAN GOV'T -------------- ¶4. (S) Yadlin claimed that Hamas intends to undertake an extreme approach towards Israel, and is using the current ceasefire to build up its forces. Yadlin compared Hamas to the Muslim Brotherhood, and suggested that the Brotherhood poses a similar challenge to Egypt and Jordan. He also assessed the current GOJ and GOE positions on Hamas as trying to postpone difficult decisions. Regarding Egypt, Yadlin emphasized that the GOE played a part in the Hamas victory, by maintaining a policy of treating Hamas leader Khaled Mishal on a level equal to that of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmud Abbas. ¶5. (S) Moving to the current situation with the Palestinians and the PA, Yadlin noted his disappointment with Abbas. Yadlin said that the GOI understands that the USG believes that Abbas has put conditions to Hamas leader Ismail Haniya. He stressed, however, that the situation is actually the other way around -- that Haniya is putting conditions to Abbas. Yadlin said that Abbas has strong views but chooses not to push them very hard, as he wishes to be the "leader of all Palestinians." Yadlin said that Abbas's discussions with Haniya of "common goals" have made the GOI uncomfortable, and that Abbas's strategy of co-opting Hamas has created a situation where Fatah has been tamed by Hamas, and risks becoming irrelevant or disappearing altogether. -------------- YADLIN ON GOI COLLECTION PRIORITIES -------------- ¶6. (S/NF) Responding to Ambassador Crumpton's question about how the GOI sets intelligence collection priorities, Yadlin said that the GOI divides them to address the Palestinian territories, Hizballah and Syria, and Iran. Yadlin noted that the GOI utilizes three main sources to collect: aerial vehicles (UAVs),SIGINT, and HUMINT. Decisions on allocating these resources sometimes shift on an annual basis -- and often times daily -- based on analyses of where the enemy will or would like to attack. Regarding cooperation between the Israeli services, Yadlin noted that the GOI has a good strategic model, and the papers that are produced are shared among the services before going to the Prime Minister. ¶7. (S) Yadlin offered praise for Egyptian efforts in the border regions with Gaza, and said, citing recent statements by EGIS Suleiman as an example, that the GOE is beginning to align itself more closely with Quartet positions. He noted, though, that there is a gap between declarations and deeds. ¶8. (S) Yadlin closed by mentioning his upcoming visit to Washington in April, at which time he hopes to meet with Ambassador Crumpton again. ¶9. (S) Ambassador Crumpton will address a number of other, more sensitive topics directly with the Secretary and DNI. ¶10. (U) This cable was cleared by S/CT Coordinator Ambassador Henry Crumpton. ********************************************* ******************** Visit Embassy Tel Aviv's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/telaviv You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website. ********************************************* ******************** JONES