US House Intelligence Committee chairman stresses selectivity in sharing information with Israel

ANKARA (AA) – US House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner underscored the cautious approach being taken by Washington in sharing intelligence amid efforts to assist Israel in locating the leadership of the Palestinian group Hamas.

The US is “being selective as to the information that’s being provided” to Israel, particularly in tracking down Hamas leaders, Turner told CBS News.

During his recent trip to the Middle East, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Director William Burns aimed to enhance collaboration between US and Israeli intelligence, Turner said.

“It’s one thing to be able to look to try to identify a specific individual and provide information as to their location and operations and actually directing an operation,” he said.

“Director Burns has been very clear that we are not just providing direct access to our intelligence. And that certainly gives us the ability to have caution.”

Regarding the shortcomings of Israeli intelligence on the Hamas attack on October 7, he said: “I think what you saw was just a general dismissal by Israel and Israel’s intelligence community of the possibility of this level of a threat, which really goes to the complete breakdown that occurred here.

“This obviously could have been an institutional bias that resulted in dismissing it. But the other aspect that made this so dangerous is that even when October 7 began to unfold, their forces didn’t react. They didn’t have the deployment ability to respond, not just the intelligence ability to prevent it.”