If Pollard was working for the Soviets I would favor his execution. He worked for an ally. He deserved to be punished for his deed but his punishment has become excessive.
So I take it then that you totally mis-understand then my argument that if Israel was merely a conduit to the USSR that we should be able to judge him as if he had sold to the USSR? Or, you do understand it but don't care?
Having read the site www.jonathanpollard.net, with the copies of news reports and legal briefings, this is a very curious case. It appears to me that Pollard informed Israel of information necessary for its defense against poison gas to be used by Saddam Hussein's Iraq. There were reports that $5 billion of US Agriculture Department development funds were used to build Saddam's BCW plants, and this was something certain officials did not want Israel to know.
The problem is that the Memorandum of Understanding between President Reagan and the State of Israel of 1983 made such vital information available to Israel. Thus it appears to this observor that Pollard's action _were law
enforcing_, not law breaking. The law breaking was done by those who embargoed the intelligence, according to reports, Weinberger and Bobby Inman.
To sum up, Pollard's treatment is an outrage of injustice.
The Cold War is over, there are real enemies of the West. The antisemites in Defense, CIA and State can stop playing make believe enemy alien now, as a plethora of active combatants are entering the West even as we speak. These have been actively committing aggression against the West for many years. It is time to free Pollard, and move on.
Magooey
I tend to agree with you here. Of course, should Jonathan be released many more details will become frontpage news and I could revise my opinion as I learn more.