This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 001580 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/15/2010 
TAGS: PGOV PREL KWBG IR IS COUNTERTERRORISM GOI EXTERNAL
SUBJECT: MOSSAD CHIEF TO CODEL CORZINE: SOME FOREIGN 
FIGHTERS BEGINNING TO LEAVE IRAQ 
 
Classified By: Pol/C Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer for reasons 1.4(b) an 
d (d). 
 
¶1.  (S)  Summary: Mossad Chief Meir Dagan told CODEL Corzine 
March 13 that Israeli and U.S. thinking on Iran largely 
tracks, adding that he believes the EU dialogue with Iran 
will ultimately fail.  Dagan said that Israel has evidence 
that some foreign fighters have returned home from Iraq, 
perhaps indicating that the tide may be starting to turn in 
the U.S. battle against the insurgency there.  He worried 
however, that these militants' countries of origin -- in 
particular Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria and Sudan -- are 
ill-equipped to control the returning jihadis, who might then 
pose a threat to stability in the region and, ultimately, to 
Israel.  End Summary. 
 
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Iran 
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¶2.  (C) Senator Jon Corzine, accompanied by Senate staff 
member Evan Gottesman, the Ambassador, Pol/Res and Poloff 
(notetaker), met with Mossad Chief Meir Dagan March 13. 
Acknowledging that there are at times differences in analysis 
of the facts, Dagan stressed that it is similarities rather 
than differences that are at the heart of the GOI-U.S. 
intelligence relationship, particularly on Iran.  The facts 
themselves are not in dispute, Dagan continued, adding that 
the U.S. and Israeli assessments of Iran's intentions and 
plans are largely in accord.  Iran has decided to go nuclear, 
Dagan said, and nothing will stop it.  Dagan predicted that 
the EU dialogue with Iran will not succeed and that the issue 
of Iran's nuclear ambitions would eventually go to the UN 
Security Council. 
 
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Iraq - Foreign Fighters Heading Home? 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (S) In response to the Senator's question, Dagan said 
that the tide may be starting to turn in Iraq with regard to 
foreign militant activity.  Dagan said Israel has evidence 
that foreign fighters originating from Tajikistan, 
Uzbekistan, Syria and Yemen have arrived back in their home 
countries, and he assumes that some had returned to Saudi 
Arabia as well.  Dagan predicted that, as with men who fought 
in Afghanistan during the 80's and 90's, these returning 
militants would stay in touch with each other, forming a 
network based on their common experiences in Iraq. 
 
¶4.  (S) Stressing that Israel has no assets in Iraq other 
than a friendly relationship with the Kurds, Dagan said that 
Israel's interest is more in the impact the jihadis from, for 
example, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, will have once they return 
to their countries of origin.  Although he predicts Egypt and 
Jordan will "do all right," Dagan said he is less confident 
that governments in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Syria, and Sudan 
are sufficiently well-equipped to face down the domestic 
challenge these returning militants will pose.  The 
combination of their military training and the absence of 
strong governments willing and able to confront these men 
could have a devastating impact on Israel by causing chaos in 
their home countries, he added.  Dagan predicted that these 
jihadis will have less of a direct impact on Palestinians, 
because Palestinians are already well aware of militant views 
and opinions via Internet chat rooms.  Furthermore, Dagan 
said he feels that most Palestinians are not searching for 
"foreign flags," such as al-Qaeda, under which to rally, 
because those inclined to do so are already being 
well-mobilized under existing groups in the West Bank and 
Gaza. 
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Lebanon 
------- 
 
¶5.  (C) Dagan opined that Hizballah will never make the 
transition to a purely political party in Lebanon, since the 
organization remains very dependent on its jihadi 
orientation.  Noting that even the recent 
Hizaballah-sponsored march in Beirut has not deterred the 
Lebanese from pressing for a full Syrian withdrawal, Dagan 
advised the U.S. to remain firm in its demand for a complete 
pullout, and attributed the willingness of the Lebanese 
people to rise up to U.S. action in Iraq. 
 
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Essential to Use All Assets in the Fight Against Terrorism 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶6.  (C) Dagan said it is essential to combine all types of 
intelligence assets, rather than relying exclusively on human 
intelligence or signal intercepts, to counter terrorist 
threats.  Terrorist organizations have been seeking to obtain 
WMD as a matter of course and, unlike countries that wish to 
acquire these weapons as a deterrent, non-state actors would 
be more inclined to actually use them, in Dagan's opinion. 
Asked about the relationship between illicit activities such 
as narcotic or arms trafficking and terrorism, Dagan 
confirmed that terrorist organizations try to fund their 
activities by criminal means, adding that credit card fraud 
and counterfeiting are also methods favored by these groups. 
Weapons originating from Yemen and Sudan are smuggled into 
the territories through Egypt for sale, as well as for use by 
militants, Dagan said. 
 
¶7.  (U) CODEL Corzine did not have an opportunity to clear 
this message. 
 
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KURTZER