Posted on 08/27/2004 3:46:42 PM PDT by areafiftyone
CBS News has learned that the FBI has a full-fledged espionage investigation under way and is about to -- in FBI terminology -- "roll up" someone agents believe has been spying not for an enemy, but for Israel from within the office of the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon.
60 Minutes Correspondent Lesley Stahl reports the FBI believes it has "solid" evidence that the suspected mole supplied Israel with classified materials that include secret White House policy deliberations on Iran.
At the heart of the investigation are two people who work at The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a powerful pro-Israel lobby in Washington.
The FBI investigation, headed up by Dave Szady, has involved wiretaps, undercover surveillance and photography that CBS News was told document the passing of classified information from the mole, to the men at AIPAC, and on to the Israelis.
CBS sources say that last year the suspected spy, described as a trusted analyst at the Pentagon, turned over a presidential directive on U.S. policy toward Iran while it was, "in the draft phase when U.S. policy-makers were still debating the policy."
This put the Israelis, according to one source, "inside the decision-making loop" so they could "try to influence the outcome."
The case raises another concern among investigators: Did Israel also use the analyst to try to influence U.S. policy on the war in Iraq?
With ties to top Pentagon officials Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith, the analyst was assigned to a unit within the Defense Department tasked with helping develop the Pentagon's Iraq policy.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has been made aware of the case. The government notified AIPAC today that it wants information about the two employees and their contacts with a person at the Pentagon.
AIPAC told CBS News it is cooperating with the government and has hired outside counsel. It denies any wrongdoing by the organization or any of its employees.
An Israeli spokesman said, "We categorically deny these allegations. They are completely false and outrageous." The suspected spy has not returned repeated phone calls from CBS News.
....Oh about five minutes.
Bad move for the Israelis. Lord knows that Kerry is not their biggest supporter.
Arafat sleeps with a smile tonight
can't wait to see this article discussed on Liberty Post.
Just a guess.
Probably a GS employee and, if looked into, a democrat.
Most GS employees in government are democrats.
"Arafat sleeps with a smile tonight"
A terrible image. Better that he sleeps with dimes in both eyes.
The case raises another concern among investigators: Did Israel also use the analyst to try to influence U.S. policy on the war in Iraq?
Well, we see where that's going. As if this wasn't a concern raised repeatedly about the "neocons". As if anyone's views, France, Israel, Kuwait, Iran, was secret about how we should have acted in Iraq.
Should be interesting.
and the site of 'operations' was at a toilet in the National Archives............with Chinese Spy, Handy Berger, of Los Clintonos fame?
/sarcasm
Yes indeed interesting, who knows what really happened, as there does not seem to be any "after-action" report by the FBI.
"CBS sources say that last year the suspected spy, described as a trusted analyst at the Pentagon, turned over a presidential directive on U.S. policy toward Iran while it was, "in the draft phase when U.S. policy-makers were still debating the policy." "
This will not gain any credibility for the US in the Middle East.
The surprising part is that anyone would talk about it. The guy has now been warned. I can see a warning to let him get out and avoid another Pollard in the papers. But, who would leak to CBS?
CBS in anti-government. Did they make the story up? After all the hearing about FBI failures, who there would leak something to CBS?
Unless.... My favorite explanation is that the US is providing cover for some BBC or Reuters reporter who is actually working for the Mossad. This mole will report that the Reuters guy has REFUSED to work for the Moassad and can not be trusted by the Israelis and this will make Reuters even more attractive to the anti-Americans.
In any event, there has to be more to this.
It's mostly formatted spin, rather than a first reporting of a sting on a spy. Broad suppositions and conclusions from prepostitioned "sources".
Now c'mon, we all know they were working through the governor's office in New Jersey.
Utter B.S...Count on it..And why would the FBI be the agency if it was spying by a foreignagent?
Indeed.
Pollard could probably use a new cellmate.
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