Posted on 06/04/2009 9:39:21 AM PDT by Avi Kane
The wife of Jonathan Pollard read a letter to American President Barack Obama appealing for her husband's release during a protest rally opposite the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem Wednesday night.
The demonstration was aimed at Obama’s “cold shoulder” towards Israel. Pollard is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison for spying for Israel.
“Mr. Obama, my husband Jonathan Pollard has now served more than six times the usual sentence for the offense he committed," Esther Pollard said. "After more than two decades of the harshest afflictions in prison, including seven years in solitary confinement, it is time to release him, before it is too late for America to make amends before the Almighty G-d of Israel."
(Excerpt) Read more at israelnationalnews.com ...
Note my post 20. You can’t possibly know the basis of his sentencing unless you have access to classified documents that neither his lawyers nor Pollard himself have. It’s possible there’s a miscarriage of justice here, and there may not be. The only way we’ll know is if the sentencing letter is released.
Someone mentioned to me that the damage Pollard caused was worse that Ames, Jannsen, the Walker Family and others COMBINED.
Crown Jewel type stuff.
That could be true, he's accused anecdotally for damage also attributed to others, but until the basis of the sentence is declassified, we'll never know. You might note my prior posts, the damage assessment on Pollard was done by Aldrich Ames who obviously had a motivation to lie.
>>basis of the sentence is declassified
I do not believe that in cases involving espionage and treason, there is any stipulation for the declassification. Why should Pollard’s betrayal be subject to special treatment. Anyway, its moot til 2015.
IMO, it shows how bad his damage was that the bigwigs of the Reagan Administration, no enemy of Israel after all, came all out for throwing the book at him.
I love Cold War espionage and spy stories and I intend to read the book by Olive (headed Counter Intel) during this time. Have you read the book? If you have, curious as to your impression.
It tells me something that the Judge did an extraordinary thing. After the plea agreement (which intel people say Pollard did not uphold his side of the bargain by giving comprehensive info) the Judge was going to give Pollard a fairly mundane light sentence.
But Cap Weinberger, interceded with strong enough of a case that the Judge gave him Life.
Since then 4 Chiefs of Naval Intelligence have went public and private to strongly advise that Pollard not be shown leniency. 7 Secretaries of Defense have done the same.
The guy let out some bad info to include the actual Manual of electronic intelligence/surviellance around the world. That was huge. There are also Intel claims that some Intel people behind the Iron Curtain were killed and methods compromised permanently and severely.
George Tenent interceded when Clinton was going to pardon him after a promise was made to Bibi at Wye River. We will never know the whole story but something was up with this guy.
Declassifying documents isn't a matter of special treatment, particularly when the government acknowledges the contents have been declassified. And making the information, in this case a two decade old letter, available to the defendents attorneys, who have the necessary security clearances, is quite common. As to it shows how bad his damage was that the bigwigs of the Reagan Administration, no enemy of Israel after all, came all out for throwing the book at him., that might be true. But at the time thoses bigwigs of the Reagan administration didn't know that the assessment of that damage was done by a Soviet spy, Aldrich Ames. Today we do, so it's reasonable to be certain those extrajudicial charges were legitimate by allowing him an appeal. As to the bigwigs, you'll note that although Weinberger considered it a major case at the time, when asked why he left it out of his autobiography, he noted it was an insignificant footnote to his life. He may be guilty as sin, but it wouldn't be the first time government has covered up an error.
Anyone who has worked in U.S. counter-espionage over the last 50 years will tell you that they've had as much trouble dealing with Israeli spies as they did with Soviet spies during the height of the Cold War.
I haven’t. What I find troubling is the fact that he was sentenced based on essentially extrajudicial evidence which he didn’t have the opportunity to confront, for all practical purposes doesn’t even know the contents. And the fact that the assessment was done by a Soviet spy. Adding in the fact that his lawyer “forgot” to file an appeal, his case reflects poorly on our justice system, irrespective of the level of his guilt. I wouldn’t expect the NIS or the DD to support leniency, I don’t support a pardon either. I do think the letter should be made public, and he should have an opportunity on appeal to address the evidence. I don’t want to address all the claims because obviously we don’t know, but many of those compromised agents were the reason Ames went to jail. If Pollard did it, well maybe Ames is unjustly imprisioned. It is fodder for a spy novel, except these guys would get killed off instead of clogging the legal system.
>by allowing him an appeal
That has the potential to open a Pandora’s box, and reexamine all that has transpired so far.
I doubt there is ANYONE in the Israeli or American governments who wishes to revisit L’Affaire Pollard.
He will no doubt remain in jail. Where he belongs.
That's true, though the story will be known one day. Pollard could save everyone a lot of trouble by applying for a parole, which I'm sure he'd get, and it would be over with. But he won't.
Assuming that story is true, I'd say his actions are a pretty strong indication that the government's rationale for keeping Pollard in prison is based on some extraordinary circumstances.
Bill Clinton supposedly promised the Israeli government that he would issue a clemency order for Pollard before he left office. The fact that someone as unprincipled and emotionally stunted as that moron felt a need to keep him behind bars is a very telling sign, too.
It’s an amazing and tragic case. I’m not certain, though, that it’s just Ames provided info. Here is a link to a Jewish author commissioned by the Jewish Investigative Journalism Fund for Jewish Journals and newspapers http://web.archive.org/web/20060107223010/http://www.forward.com/issues/2002/02.06.28/news.pollard.html , who agrees that there are some legal questions in the case, yet admits that the damage that was done was above content to the heart of the sources and methods of which the US relies, mainly it’s electronic eavesdropping and surveillance system around the world.
an excerpt,
“Although the declaration was signed by Weinberger and submitted as the Secretary’s personal affidavit, the damning document was in fact assembled piecemeal by an inter-agency group of intelligence officials independently assessing Pollard’s damage to their own operations. A redacted copy of that sworn 46-page declaration, obtained by this reporter, together with information and analysis reported by several of the actual contributors, indicates that Pollard indeed compromised the most sensitive aspect of American intelligence. More than just intelligence substance, Pollard revealed the carefully guarded aspect of American intelligence, known as “sources and methods.”
>>Pollard could save everyone a lot of trouble by applying for a parole, which I’m sure he’d get, and it would be over with.
Why, in your estimation, is he not doing so. And how come the certainty that he would get it....
And why ask for his release when he’s not willing to go on a parole hearing himself.
>>the most sensitive aspect of American intelligence. More than just intelligence substance, Pollard revealed the carefully guarded aspect of American intelligence, known as “sources and methods.”
Yup, the Crown Jewels summation.
I don't care what the reasoning is behind the "other side" .
I don't know, I can only assume he want's to be "vindicated", though you can't be vindicated after pleading guilty. Can't be certain, but I've never heard of him causing trouble in prison, and he'd be leaving the country, I'd be surprised if he didn't get out, particularly when the parole is mandatory in another 6 years.
You can find credible people who say he deserved the sentence, and credible people who say it’s a miscarriage of justice. While I recognize attorneys represent all sorts of people, I’m tempted to believe that Theodore Olson wouldn’t have represented him for years if he didn’t believe he was denied justice. It’s not the kind of case you pad a political resume with. We simply won’t know until the sentencing letter is released. As I noted before, I think the judicial record is problematic.
If getting caught spying for Israel results in a life sentence, it sets a high cost to the activity, and it reduces the number of people willing to take the risk of passing info to Israel.
They're not. Israel goes to great length to recover prisoners. Pollard has been denied status as a prisoner of Zion, which would obligate Israel to go to great lengths to secure his release, on several occasions. Israel doesn't consider him an Israeli agent, simply someone they paid for information. His wife is quite outspoken as are many politicians on the Israeli right, so pressure is periodically brought to bring the issue up.
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