Posted on 10/14/2014 1:00:39 PM PDT by Borges
It was the most notorious spy case of the Cold War — the conviction and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union — and it rested largely on the testimony of Ms. Rosenberg’s brother, David Greenglass, an Army sergeant who had stolen nuclear intelligence from Los Alamos, N.M.
For his role in the conspiracy, Mr. Greenglass went to prison for almost a decade, then changed his name and lived quietly until a journalist tracked him down. He admitted then, nearly a half-century later, that he had lied on the witness stand to save his wife from prosecution, giving testimony that he was never sure about but that nevertheless helped send his sister and her husband to the electric chair in 1953.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Greenglass testified against his sister, Ethel Rosenberg, to protect his wife. It turns out that his wife was a much bigger participant in the conspiracy than Ethel ever was, who seemed to play a minor role in her husband’s espionage ring. Ethel’s execution, like that of Mary Surratt in the Lincoln conspiracy, seems to have been an incredibly harsh punishment. With Julius Rosenberg, I would have gladly pulled the switch myself.
Every single one of those filthbags should have been hanged...along with the Times reporter who wrote this story.
They were all guilty.
Sounds like Mr. Greenglass was as ethically impaired as his sister and brother in law. No good guys in this one, just different degrees of bad guys.
CC
And wasn’t that confirmed by an ex-KGB dude not too long ago?
there was much more evidence for conviction - can’t recall the details after so many years, but I recall it was a solid case
Bring the Rosenbergs back, and execute them again.
There’s a whole bunch of bastards like them who should have been hanged by the neck until dead. Some of ‘em are still breathing.
Dead commie alert!
I saw some PBS special on some original atomic spies who got away with everything and nothing really happened to them.
There was one guy who I think was Army who was one of the spy ring that for some technicality he walked right out of an FBI interrogation. He was smug about his loyalty on the documentary.
I hold the opinion that the Rosenbergs were fried to send a message to J. Robert Oppenheimer and other pro-Soviet scientists. Trying and executing him risked exposing the pervasive Communist penetration of the government, with massive repercussions.
BINGO!
“...preachy Communist when drafted by the Army in World War II, but no one in the barracks took him very seriously, much less believed him capable of spying.”
“Everywhere — even at Los Alamos — he preached communism, trying to persuade fellow G.I.s and co-workers that they would someday prosper in a utopian society free of squalor and injustice.”
I know, I know, even Communists can be good scientists, but what the hell were we doing thinking they could be trusted with national secrets?
Yes.
Will do...thanks for the recommendations.
Ethel Rosenberg was not in any way a minor participant in her husband’s treason. She and her husband willingly chose death rather than give any information on their many espionage contacts.
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