Posted on 05/26/2003 9:17:56 PM PDT by Nachum
As supporters of Jonathan Pollard prepare for a prayer rally on his behalf at the Western Wall on June 4, it appears that one of the most important questions surrounding his case has been answered. Former federal prosecutor John Loftus, in an article in the June issue of Moment Magazine, writes the following:
"There is a good reason why neither Congress nor the American Jewish leadership supports the release of Jonathan Pollard from prison: They all were told a lie - a humongous Washington whopper of a lie. The lie was [that] Pollard had supposedly given Israel a list of every American spy inside the Soviet Union... Soviet agents in Israel, posing as Israeli intelligence agents, passed the information to Moscow, which then wiped out American human assets in the Soviet Union...
"A week after [Pollard was sentenced to life in prison], the Washington Times reported that the United States had identified Shabtai Kalmanovich as the Soviet spy in Israel who supposedly worked for the Mossad but was actually working for the KGB; he had betrayed American secrets to Moscow. Washington insiders winked knowingly at one another: Pollard's contact in Israel had been caught. Just to make sure that Pollard was blamed, U.S. intelligence sources, several months later, leaked word to the press of the Kalmanovich connection...
Citing 'American intelligence sources,' the UPI announced that the 'sensitive intelligence material relayed to Israel by Jonathan Pollard had reached the KGB.'"
Loftus then fires off his bombshell:
"But it was all untrue. Every bit of it. Pollard wasn't the serial killer. The Jew didn't do it. It was one of their own WASPs - Aldrich Ames, a drunken senior CIA official who sold the names of America's agents to the Russians for cash. Pollard was framed for Ames' crime, while Ames kept on drinking and spying for the Soviets for several more years… Ames was arrested in February 1994, and confessed to selling out American agents in the Soviet Union, but not all of them. It was only logical to assume that Pollard had betrayed the rest of them, as one former CIA official admitted shortly after Ames' arrest…
"No one dreamed that yet another high-level Washington insider had sold us out to Soviet intelligence. Years passed, and eventually a Russian defector told the truth. A senior FBI official - Special Agent Robert Hanssen - had betrayed the rest of our agents. Hanssen was arrested in February 2001, and soon confessed in order to avoid the death penalty. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole."
Loftus then writes that a low-level decision was finally made in the Navy's intelligence service to re-examine the Pollard case, and "with sickening chagrin, the Navy discovered that the evidence needed to clear Pollard had been under its nose all along" - namely, that Pollard did not have the special "blue stripe" clearance needed for access to the room in which the list of secret American agents inside Russia was kept. "There is no way on earth," Loftus concludes, "that Jonathan Pollard could have entered the file room, let alone the safe where the list was kept."
Loftus also writes that he then "began to realize that Pollard's tale was only the beginning of a much bigger story about a major America intelligence scandal" - a cover-up of the deep ties between Saudi Arabia and terrorists such as Osama Bin-Laden. "Whenever the FBI or CIA came close to uncovering the Saudi terrorist connection," Loftus writes, "their investigations were mysteriously terminated. In hindsight, I can only conclude that some of our own Washington bureaucrats have been protecting the Al Qaeda leadership and their oil-rich Saudi backers from investigation for more than a decade."
Loftus continues:
"I am not the only one to reach this conclusion. In his autobiography, Oliver North confirmed that every time he wanted to do something about terrorism, [then-Defense Secretary Weinberger, whose secret memo led to Pollard's life sentence] stopped him because it might upset the Saudis and jeopardize the flow of oil to the U.S. "John O'Neill, a former FBI agent and our nation's top Al Qaeda expert, stated in a 2001 book written by Jean Charles Brisard, a noted French intelligence analyst, that everything we wanted to know about terrorism could be found in Saudi Arabia. O'Neill warned the Beltway bosses repeatedly that if the Saudis were to continue funding Al Qaeda, it would end up costing American lives, according to several intelligence sources. As long as the oil kept flowing, they just shrugged. Outraged by the Saudi cover-up, O'Neill quit the FBI and became the new chief of security at the World Trade Center. In a bitter irony, the man who could have exposed his bosses' continuous cover-up of the Saudi-Al Qaeda link was himself killed by Al Qaeda on 9/11..." "Pollard never thought he was betraying his country. And he never did, although he clearly violated its laws. He just wanted to help protect Israelis and Americans from terrorists. Now in prison for nearly two decades, Pollard, who is in his late 40s, grows more ill year by year. If, as seems likely, American bureaucrats choose to fight a prolonged delaying action over a new hearing, Pollard will probably die in prison. There are people in power inside the Beltway who have been playing for time. Time for them ran out on 9/11. Sooner or later, they are going to be held accountable. I hope that Pollard lives to see it."
The full text of Pollard's attorneys' largely-laudatory response to Loftus' article is available at "www.jonathanpollard.org/".
Regardless of what is known or still secret, Pollard:
1. is an American citizen.
2. signed clearance papers that clearly lay out the penalties for revealing classified information.
3. did, in fact, reveal that classified information to agents of a foreign intelligence service in exchange for cash.
That's espionage. That's life.
Are you disputing this? You certainly appear to go out of your way in minimizing the damage caused by Pollards treachery. I'm still puzzled as to why you you would be sympathetic to this traitor.
You never saw Ivan actively encouraging American citizens to lobby for the release of KGB agents we caught.
From what I've seen he deserved the death penalty and was fortunate to get off with life imprisonment. What the hell is with you Pollard apologists anyway?
It might not be accurate, but it's still irrelevent. The damage he was alledged to have caused was significant enough without having to embellish it for him to receive the punishment that he did.
Then quit embellishing it!
The article you posted blamed Pollard for exposing US agents inside the Soviet Union--agents that were in reality exposed by Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen.
Hmmm... Willowpar, since may 19 2003.
You know, I sort of sense that bug-eyed, spittle-flecked dedication only found on LibertyForum. It was Eric Margolis from Toronto Sun you dredged up, no?
Texoma?? Is that you? :))
Sigh. I swear, you couldn't make this stuff up sometimes. Quote of the day?
Quote of them Month! LOL
An accusation from leftwing nutjob Eric Margolis is supposed to be authoritative? On an off day the guy's column contains at least two or three lies.
The death of agents has never been part of the brief against Pollard, and the fact that a leftwinger uses the charge makes it even more highly suspect.
I beg you pardon??? Bug eyed, spittle fleck dedication to what? My loyalty to my country? You're the one engaging in apologetics for a convicted spy, something I dare say wouldn't even be found on a liberals R us forum. I just find it incredibly bizarre that any American could possibly argue leniency for Pollard. You are American, right?
The thing is, you don't know what's in there, and these charges keep popping up, even if usually from nazi/leftwing sources like this trashbucket out of Canada. It's still being put on the table, and it needs to be resolved.
Margolis is hardly a "left wing nutjob." The vast majoity of other conservatives would agree with him on the Pollard issue.
I think Hanssen shoudl have been executed. As for shooting US spies in other countries, what kind of stupid arguement is that? Why would Americans support shooting our own spies? Or do you mean that American's don't understand the risks these men take?
To "not accurate, but still irrelevent", tex.
My loyalty to my country?
Sorry, no sale :). I still think you're an illegal Canadian, if JustStopIt didn't make a "honest woman" of you ;))).
Margolis most certainly is an anti-American, indeed an America hating, leftwing nutjob who has been caught in uncountable lies and deceptions. Anybody who falls for his drivel on any subject is a pathetic dupe.
Now you think I'm Canadian because I've referenced an article by Margolis? I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with you cryptic babbling. Try to stay on topic.
That was in the indictment? Can you show that to us? That sounds rather pre-judgemental, doesn't it? Isn't the United States Government the judge of what might be harmful to her interests? Perhaps Pollard didn't think he was harming the US, but managed to anyway because he failed to understand US priorities and objectives, since he was an agent of a foreign power? Perhaps that is why he is in the clink?
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