Israel – The US ambassador to Israel on Monday said it is unlikely that convicted Pentagon spy Jonathan Pollard will ever be released, saying the fact that he has not been executed should be seen as an act of clemency by Washington.
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Responding to audience questions during an academic conference, Ambassador Richard Jones said Pollard’s crimes appear especially heinous to many Americans because he was caught spying for a friendly power.
“It came out in the trial very clearly, Jonathan Pollard took money for what he did, he sold out his country,” Jones said in comments at Bar Ilan University, near Tel Aviv. “The fact that he wasn’t executed is the mercy that Jonathan Pollard will receive.” [J Post]
Exp Owl –
“…and, due to the very nature of the position, it was quite obvious that I held a security clearance.”
“…the basic principles and procedures of military security remain the same (except that some procedures have been tightened up).”
Hate to tell you but just saying you held or hold a security clearance is a breach. This has always been the procedure. What is my need to know (or anyone’s on this blogsite)that you held a clearance? And if it was quite obvious among people besides your co-workers, that you held a security clearance, then you didn’t do a very good job and I am relieved you no longer hold that position.
Chaim and Valerie:
For the record, I am an American-born citizen of the United States who now, pending the arrival of Moshiach, lives in the State of New York. I am legal, and I was never “forced out.” Those who know my background can readily deduce the benign significance of the name “Expatriate.”
The position I held with the Department of Defense was publicly known in diverse quarters of the Defense contracting community, and, due to the very nature of the position, it was quite obvious that I held a security clearance.
For reasons I do not discuss, let alone post on the Internet, commercial exploitation of the information I had a need to know was not practicable, and is even less at issue now, 20+ years later.
Though the hot classified information du jour has changed over the decades, the basic principles and procedures of military security remain the same (except that some procedures have been tightened up).
And knowing the dynamics of the system if not the particular data, I am reading the situation as one in which JJP has implicated himself into some grave matters, unreported in the press, which transcend the issues discussed at his trial.
Those who call for JJP’s release (myself included) have a rough row to hoe.
It is a davir yadua that he was framed at his trial. This has been proven already. We also know that people who have been convicted of worse have had lighter sentences. Casper Weinberger is a rosha and he will certainly rot in hell for his part of this.
Maybe “Expatriate” as in an illegal forced out.
Exp. Owl said “…some undisclosed fact or set of facts which, if known, might totally change the perspective on Jonathan Pollard.”
Ageed – that could work both ways.
p.s. By the way, people who have really had experience with classified military information know not to publicize that, expecially under the cover of code name “Expatriate” Owl.
– Valerie
Whatever the reason that that the Justice Department is determined to keep Pollard locked up, we have to be more dtermined to pressure for his release.
His best shot for release is after the 2008 elections by getting a Presidential Pardon.
At that point President Bush won’t be worried about how it would impact the elections. And that is the time when most Presidents give all their controversial pardons.
Why can’t you all see through the US governments obvious anti Semitism?
Why does the us constantly kiss up to the Arabs and pressure Israel into concessions and binding them from taking measures long overdue to stop or at least slow down the constant shutting into Israel, when in the same time the US invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. Is Jewish blood any cheaper than American blood?
I always thought that if the bigwigs really wanted Pollard out, he’d be freed by now. For some reason he isn’t being released because someone important is not allowing it. Who is he covering for?
Expatriate Owl:
You are 100% right.
If my memory is not playing tricks with me and i if recall correctly,
Joe Liberman said something to the same effect when he was running for VP..
There must be more to this than what meats the eye AND media!
THIS GUY AT LEAST IS HONEST AND STRAIGHT FORWARD REGARDING THE US GOVT’S FEELING REGARDING POLLARD
BUT AS WE SEE IN THE COMMENTS THE POSITION IS TOTALLY WRONG AS
A)THE US DOESNT HAVE A DEATH PENALTY FOR SPYING
B)THE CRIMES ATTRIBUTED TO HIM WERENT ACTUALLY COMMITED BY HIM BUT BY HSI SUPERIOR AMES WHO FINGERED POLLARD TO TAKE THE SUSPICION AWAY FROM HIMSELF
C)IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY NO
OTHER SPY WAS GIVEN SO SEVERE A PUNISHMENT FOR THIS TYPE OF CRIME SPYING FOR A FRIENDLY ALLY
D)THE INFORMATION PASSED WAS QUOTE ON QUOTE SUPPOSED TO BE GIVEN TO ISRAEL AS PER AGGREEMENT BUT HELD BACK BY THE ANTISEMETIC POWERS THAT BE AT THE STATE DEPT
E)ISRAELS INITIAL DENIAL AND HER DISGRACEFUL POSITION AND PITIFUL HALF HEARTED EFFORTS ON JOHNATHAN,S BEHALF SINCE THEN DIDNT CONVINCE OUR US GOVT THAT IT REALLY WANTED HIM FREED.
BY NOW ANY INFORMATION/SECRETS POLLARD HAS IS OLD NEWS AND WORTHLESS.
CURRENTLY HE IS JUST A PAWN AND A SITTING LESSON LMAN YISHMU VEYROHU TO ALL WHO MAY HAVE AN ALLIGIENCE TO HELP ISRAEL TO BE CAREFUL AND NOT GET INVOLVED
THOUGH THAT WAS ALREADY ASSURED BY ISRAEL ITSELF THE WAY THEY THRE POLLARD OUT INTO THE STREET TO THE DOGS WHO WOULD WANT TO HELP SUCH A COUNTRY??
VOS IZ NEIS HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A KIDDUSH HASHEM BY ASKING PEOPLE TO CALL THERE GOVT REP LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL TO PUT THIS ISSUE ON THE AGENDA AND PUSH IT THRU AND GET JOHNATHAN POLLARD FREED
HEY WE ARENT WORSE THEN THE LEHAVDIL THE MEXICANS WHO WERE ABLE TO PUT THEIR LEGAL STATUS ON THE FRONT BURNER AND THE HOTTEST ISSUE OF US DOMESTIC POLICY
WHY CANT WE ORGANIZE AND NUDGE CAJOLE PESTER OR LOBBY(FOR A MODERN UPGRADED WORD)OUR GOVT TO FREE POLLARD AS A HUMANITARIAN GESTURE ETC JUST GET HIM OUT!!
IF YOU CARE AND FEEL FOR YOUR BROTHER LANGUISHING IN JAIL PLEASE CONTAC YOUR GOVT REP AND ASK THEM TO DO THEIR UTMOST TO FREE POLLARD
With “friends” like this, who needs enemies?!?!?!
That said, out continued tefillos must storm the Heavens, as we all plead with the Rebono Shel Olam to release Pollard.
never say never watch and see he will be out mabe not today or this year you will see he be out soon
Netzach Yisroel Lo Yishaker!!!
We have hope.
While I have no special “inside info” regarding the Pollard case, I do have enough past experience with classified military information to strongly suspect that there is more to the Pollard case than meets the eye; some undisclosed fact or set of facts which, if known, might totally change the perspective on Jonathan Pollard.
And if, perchance, they are what I speculate they might be, then it is a very serious matter indeed.
The foregoing two paragraphs were, in substance, posted on theyeshivaworld blog on 6 February 2007. Ambassador Jones’s remarks may be nonsensical for all of the reasons posted here, but they do serve to intensify my suspicions that (A) there is something more to JJP than meets the eye; and (B) this something more may well quite close to what I surmise it is.
I happen to favor the release of Pollard for all of the reasons posted by others, but understand that his misdeeds were very, VERY serious!
Aldrich Ames undermined US efforts and cause the deaths of fellow CIA agents -Life sentence.
http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/spies/ames/1.html
John Anthony Walker spied on the US and compromised US interests and gave classified documents to the Russian for 18 years.he was given a life sentence. His son michael Walker was released on Parole in 2000 from 1985 sentence of 25 years .
Robert Hanssen Double Agent Spied on the FBI for 20 years. -Life sentence
>If you do the crime you’re going to serve the time.
He served much longer than anyone else for the same crimes. He did his time, now it’s time to let go of old grudges.
The fact is he was a spy. That he was “our spy” doesn’t lessen the crime. If you do the crime you’re going to serve the time.
——–
However, why have others who were convicted of graver offenses (i.e., treason) given much lighter sentences?
The fact is he was a spy. That he was “our spy” doesn’t lessen the crime. If you do the crime you’re going to serve the time.
Yes but Ames, who was directly responsable for American CIA deaths, gets off with a life sentance. This guy is full of garbage. He didn’t get the death penalty because there is no death penalty for someone who spies in peacetime. In fact he was double crossed at his trial, for if he had the full trial and not pleaded to a ‘lesser’ charge, he would not have served a day. What is interesting to me is that the judge gave him ‘life’ on the recomendation of Casper Weinberger, who was convicted in Iran Contra and therefor a criminal and a traitor to this country. He only avoided jail due to a Pardon from George Bush Senior.
Pollard, was never found guilty by ‘his peers’ (jury) (He pleaded guilty to a real low charge and they used that to get him) is still sitting. I always wondered what Casper – may he rot in hell, wanted to cover up.
The U.S. has no death penalty for the charge on which Jonathan Pollard was accused or convicted. It has a death penalty only for treason – and he was never accused of treason.
There have been other spies who have received lesser sentences. If Jonathan Pollard was not Jewish, he would have gotten a lighter sentence.The fact that Jonathan Pollard had to even give this information to Israel shows that the United States does not consider Israel a friend. The fact that the United States kept such vital information from Israel shows that Israel cannot rely on the United States to care about its existence.