THUMBS DOWN ON TRAITOR POLLARD

New York Post ^ | 11/14/03 | AP

[kattracks]

November 14, 2003 -- WASHINGTON - A federal judge yesterday rejected convicted spy Jonathan Pollard's latest attempt to fight his life sentence for selling military secrets to Israel. U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Hogan, who is chief judge of the court, also noted in a blunt order that Pollard seemed to have little hope of winning a presidential pardon.

[risk]

I have to agree. I consider Israel one of America's best friends, but it's not up to individual Americans to express that friendship via bypassing security and giving away state secrets.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

The sentence was unprecedented. It's a matter of comparison to other sentences given by the U.S. Spies who have truly compromised U.S. security by spying for U.S. enemies have been given much, much shorter sentences. No one has received the Draconian sentence which Pollard had. He cooperated fully and shared fully whatever he had done on a promise of a shorter sentence and was then double crossed by Casper Weinberger. Pollard gave information to a true friend of the U.S. (the only true friend out there), information which led to the bombing of the nuclear reactor in Iraq, a move which time has shown was a tremendous benefit to the U.S. and the world in forestalling Iraq's nuclear capability. On that basis alone, he should have been out of prison long, long ago. History will judge the U.S. poorly for prolonging his sentence and turning him from a prisoner into a political prisoner.

[zarf]

Pollard gave information to a true friend of the U.S. (the only true friend out there)

The United Kingdom is not a true friend? Australia is not a true friend? Huh?

Comparisons are meaningless. He spied. He should spend the rest of his life in jail.

Where's the hard proof that Cap Weinberger double crossed anyone? Where's the beef?

[risk]

It's a matter of comparison to other sentences given by the U.S. Spies who have truly compromised U.S. security by spying for U.S. enemies have been given much, much shorter sentences.

You've made a good point: we've been far too lenient on traitors in this country.

[Brian Allen]

<< .... we've been far too lenient on traitors in this country. >>

One of the worst in our nation's history having been recently elected to the United States' Senate from a North Eastern state and another, more recently, elected governor of a South Western one.

[Nonstatist]

History will judge the U.S. poorly for prolonging his sentence and turning him from a prisoner into a political prisoner

I agree. His sentence is not commensurate with those given to other more nefarious "spies".

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

No, that is patently inaccurate. Pollard has acknowleged and apologized for copying the documents; but it is an entirely different thing to claim that he sold out his country; only someone who considers Israel an enemy of the U.S. would say Pollard sold our his country; would that be you, Santini? Pollard, as events of the past decades have dramatically shown, harmed only the growing nuclear build-up of Saddam Hussein. Was that selling out the U.S.? Pollard's acts, which resulted in the destruction of the nuclear reactor of Saddam, have, in fact, been praised by U.S. military and security experts in the years following Pollard's lifesentence. They say that the U.S. itself had no reason not to share with Israel the key information about Iraqi plans to harm her. They say that Pollard achieved a very good thing for the U.S. when the Iraqi nuclear plant was destroyed. Pollard can not be put the the same category as those who did sell out their country and endanger agents by sharing classified info to enemies who wanted to and did use the info to harm the U.S.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Santini, spying surely is serious and not to be taken lightly, The question remains, however - how do you explain why Pollard alone has been the harshest sentence of any person who has committed this crime and why did the U.S. govt ignore the terms they offered Pollard in the plea bargain they offered Pollard for the full cooperation, which they got. Neither Pollard nor his first or second set of lawyers has ever been given the opportunity to this day to see the evidence on which he was sentenced; there has been no due course of justice in his case.

[churchillbuff]

Pollard, as events of the past decades have dramatically shown, harmed only the growing nuclear build-up of Saddam Hussein

I've heard that Reagan's CIA director said that info filched by Pollard ended up with the Soviets. True? If so, shouldn't he be shot?

[churchillbuff]

Pollard gave information to a true friend of the U.S. (the only true friend out there),

If Israel is the "only true friend" that the US has, why are there no Israeli troops in the coalition against Saddam? Why were there no Israeli troops fighting beside ours in Vietnam?

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Did you not read widely that the last thing the U.S. wanted was Israel soldiers fighting in Iraq, since the U.S. felt that would inflame Islamofascist anti-semitism. Israel was ready, willing, and able to send troops. Israeli's newest technologies were in use by the U.S. and the coalition during this war; Israel does not withhold helpful information from their friend the U.S., since they share the same democratic, humanistic values and opposition to totalitarian regimes and vision of a peaceful, tolerant world.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

The sentences of the others, for better or worse, have been the norm. Pollard was treated differently from all the rest. Why do you think the others who actually were anti-American got lightly sentences? Why do you think the book was thrown only at Pollard?

[sarasmom]

I would happily be a member of the firing squad for Pollard.
He got off lightly, IMO.
He is never getting out of prison, and you best just get used to dealing with that immutable fact.
I dont care how much or how often you and your ignorant fellow travelors whine about it.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

The tactic of card carrying "fellow travellors" trying to divert attention from themselves by calling others "fellow travellors" is as ludicrous as it is transparent. Most Freepers are smart enough to see through the antiWest agenda.