US, Israeli counterterror teams talk tactics

WASHINGTON — The counterterrorism teams of the United States and Israel met this week in Washington, DC for strategic discussion.

The meeting at the US State Department came “in the context of the two countries’ close and ongoing security cooperation,” the State Department said.

Leading the team for the United States was Counterterrorism Coordinator Tina Kaidanow, and for Israel, Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Alon Roth-Snir and Deputy National Security Adviser and Head of the Counterterrorism Bureau Eytan Ben-David.

“This is one of the United States’ longest standing strategic counterterrorism dialogues and provides an opportunity to formally review the full range of counterterrorism issues that are of concern to our two countries,” the statement said.

“Both delegations reaffirmed their commitment to continuing and strengthening joint Israel-US consultation and cooperation on common counterterrorism challenges.”

Such meetings are planned months in advanced and this one likely was not related to the announcement Tuesday of a final Iran nuclear agreement.