Israeli intelligence chief to visit US as tension rises over Iran

Middle East, News, US March 8, 2015 , by IRIA No Comments

Israel’s top intelligence officer will visit the United States this week, sources with knowledge of the itinerary said; a sign that security cooperation continues despite disputes between the countries’ leaders over strategy over Iran.

Major-General Herzi Halevy, commander of Israeli military intelligence, is scheduled to meet U.S. defense officials and attend a pro-Israel fundraising event, the sources said. It is his first U.S. trip since being appointed in September.

Bilateral ties have been strained by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech in the U.S. Congress last week against President Barack Obama’s negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program. However, Obama has emphasized his administration’s continuing defense assistance to the Israelis.

One source described Halevy’s trip as routine and an opportunity for the general to familiarize himself with Washington’s counterpart agencies.

US national intelligence director, James Clapper said that strict monitoring of Iran remains a key focus of the US intelligence community and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“We need the basic foundational information and insight provided by those inspections and surveillance capabilities represented by the IAEA, which then we would double check, verify with our own organic intelligence capabilities and that of our partners, and notably, the Israelis,” said Clapper.

JP/Reuters