[Spooks] Russian-Israeli partnership

[Ary Boender]

RUSSIA’S NEW COUNTERTERRORISM PARTNER...
The bloody take-over of a middle school in southern Russia in early September
has prompted the Kremlin to turn to a new ally in its fight against terrorism.
In the wake of the hostage-taking and subsequent siege, Russian President
Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who
pledged his government’s cooperation with Moscow in “political and intelligence
efforts to destroy terror.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his
Israeli counterpart, Silvan Shalom, quickly codified these commitments, inking a
memorandum of understanding on September 6th, during Lavrov’s visit to Israel.
According to officials in Jerusalem, the new pact is designed to “encourage in
every possible way the development of broad bilateral, regional and multilateral
cooperation in fighting international terrorism.” (Washington Times, September
7, 2004)

Ary