Israeli police hunt for US intelligence officer

An American military intelligence officer who is absent without leave from his base in San Antonio, Texas, is being hunted in Israel.

An American military intelligence officer who is absent without leave from his base in San Antonio, Texas, is being hunted in Israel.

A US embassy spokesmansaid the Israelis were co-operating with attempts to locate Lt-Col Jeremiah Mattysse, 49, an army reserve officer, who failed to report back from vacation on 8 August.

Rivka Artzi-Nir, who lives in Israel and says she is Lt-Col Mattysse's girlfriend, told local newspapers he had been devoted to Israel since converting to Judaism 10 years ago.

Until February, Lt-Col Mattysse commanded the army reserve intelligence support centre at Camp Bullis, San Antonio, which trained reservists in intelligence work. Joseph Hanley, a US army spokesman, said that "because of his background, [his disappearance] is of heightened concern". (AP)