Jonathon Pollard was arrested in 1985 for passing US secrets to Israel while he worked for the Naval Intelligence Command. In 1987, he pleaded guilty and sentenced to life in prison. His imprisonment has been highly controversial because his sentence was for passing secrets to our ally. While he spied for Israel, he was very well paid by that ally. He also passed classified information to Australia and attempted, unsuccessfully to trade in secrets with Pakistan, according to NCIS investigators. So, you see, the issue wasn’t about who he spied for, it was about the act of spying.<\/p>\n
Well, now the Obama Administration wants to make nice with the Israeli government, which has been lobbying for Pollard’s release since the door slammed shut behind him and it looks like he might make parole in November thirty years after his arrest, according to Fox News<\/a>; <\/p>\n The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that some U.S. officials hope the release will improve relations with Israel following the Iran nuclear deal. However, others denied any link between the release and the Iran deal exists.<\/p>\n National Security Council spokesperson Alistair Baskey told Fox News on Friday that Pollard\u2019s prison status \u201dwill be determined by the United States Parole Commission according to standard procedures. There is absolutely zero linkage between Mr. Pollard’s status and foreign policy considerations.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The 60-year-old Pollard has been experiencing health problems in recent years, but the lead lawyer for Naval Intelligence during the investigation of Pollard, M.E. “Spike” Bowman, characterizes him as a less than sympathetic character according to Wiki<\/a>;<\/p>\n “Because the case never went to trial, it is difficult for outside observers to understand the potential impact and complexity of the Pollard betrayal,” he wrote. “There is no doubt that Pollard was devoted to Israel. However, the extent of the theft and the damage was far broader and more complex than evidenced by the single charge and sentence.” In his estimation Pollard “was neither a U.S. nor an Israeli patriot. He was a self-serving, gluttonous character seeking financial reward and personal gratification.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"