US set to release Jonathan Pollard, who spied for Israel

[webfact]

US set to release Jonathan Pollard, who spied for Israel
By DAVID B. CARUSO

NEW YORK (AP) — Former spy Jonathan Pollard is set to be released from a federal prison in North Carolina on Friday, 30 years after he was caught selling American intelligence secrets to Israel. But he'll be on a short leash as he rebuilds his life as a free man.

Pollard, 61, was given a life sentence in 1987 in a case that has complicated diplomacy between the two countries.

He's expected to settle in the New York area while he spends at least the next five years on parole. He will be barred him from traveling outside the country, including to Israel, without permission. Many in Israel view him as a hero.

Both the Justice Department and Pollard's lawyers have so far declined to discuss his parole conditions, but one longtime supporter, Rabbi Pesach Lerner of New York, told a radio interviewer this month that Pollard would have to abide by a curfew and wear a GPS unit to track his movements.

He has also been ordered to stay off the Internet, Lerner said, which could complicate his ability to hold a job.

"We're concerned that maybe they are trying to set him up so they can say he broke his parole and send him back," Lerner told Nachum Segal, who hosts a program on Jewish affairs on WFMU in New Jersey. "They're keeping the reins on him very tightly."

Standard rules for federal parolees would also restrict Pollard's travel within the U.S.

Pollard's lawyers, Eliot Lauer and Jacques Semmelman, said in late July that they had secured employment and housing for him "in the New York area," but they haven't revealed any details.

Several of Pollard's longtime supporters declined to talk about their thoughts on his impending release or his plans for the future this week, saying they didn't want to say anything potentially provocative when he was so close to freedom.

"After all this time, we want him to get out without any difficulties of any comments in the press," said Kenneth Lasson, a law professor at the University of Baltimore who supported Pollard's bid to have his sentence shortened.

The details of when he will travel to New York, following his release from the federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, or where he will be living and working, are still being kept private.

"I've been working with Mr. Pollard for 20 years, and even I don't know where he is going or what he will be doing," said Farley Weiss, the president of the National Council of Young Israel.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has asked the U.S. to allow Pollard to move immediately to Israel, the pro-government Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom reported Thursday.

Two New York congressmen, Reps. Eliot Engel and Jerrold Nadler, have also written U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, saying that Pollard should be allowed to renounce his American citizenship and emigrate to Israel.

Pollard, a former civilian intelligence analyst for the Navy, was arrested in 1985. He pleaded guilty a year later. Over the decades, the possibility of his early release had been dangled as a bargaining chip in the Middle East peace process.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-11-20

[samran]

Mossad will have him in Tel Aviv the next day...

[camble]

A traitor that sold out his country to a foreign government for money, but I'm glad he wasn't executed like the Rosenbergs.

[DLang]

30 years in a US Federal Prison,

F That spying game.

[dexterm]

He will not need to work. I am sure he will be on a pension from his spymasters.

It's a pity they did not use him as a bargaining chip to put pressure on Israel to suspend colony building in the West Bank, and restart peace talks.

[HenryB]

They better get rid of him he could become a Terrorist

In Prison many become a Muslim

[bendejo]

Israel has been bargaining for years to get him released. It's impressive that he's been held so long, and that he'll still be on probation.

[Scott]

A troll post has been removed.

[Baerboxer]

They better get rid of him he could become a Terrorist

In Prison many become a Muslim

You did read that he is Jewish and spyed for Israel?

How many Jews do you know of who've converted to Islam and then been radicalized and become a terrorist?

[Jingthing]

Well, as an American Jew, I do consider him a traitor to the USA, the same as any spy.

Yes I know the U.S. and Israel are very close allies, even accounting for the current bad relationship between Obama and Netanyahu.

Does that make this different? Not really.

Of course even close allies spy on each other. They all do! But getting caught ... then the game is over.

His legal problems are his legal problems. Personally I would agree yes, let him give up his U.S. citizenship if he chooses now that he has served his prison sentence.

It's not as if he got off Scot free, after all.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Jingthing

[maderaroja]

The U.S. spies on its' allies and enemies without regret. Why shouldn't they spy on the U.S.?

[Jingthing]

The U.S. spies on its' allies and enemies without regret. Why shouldn't they spy on the U.S.?

Good question. Yes, they all do. But getting caught is the problem and that's part of the game.

[Jingthing]

Mossad will have him in Tel Aviv the next day...

That's absurd and ridiculous. Israel may want Pollard there, and they do, but that wouldn't be worth it.

[HenryB]

They better get rid of him he could become a Terrorist

In Prison many become a Muslim

You did read that he is Jewish and spyed for Israel?

How many Jews do you know of who've converted to Islam and then been radicalized and become a terrorist?

Their is always a first I know none

Do you know any

[JingerBen]

Focussing so much media attention on Pollard conveniently diverts attention from the fact that many people in government should be registered as agents for Israel.

[Jingthing]

That would be very very very rare for a Jew to become an Islamist Jihadist terrorists.

Conversion to Islam of Jews ... sure, that happens sometimes. Islam actively seeks converts and it's easy to do.

[Morch]

The U.S. spies on its' allies and enemies without regret. Why shouldn't they spy on the U.S.?

Good question. Yes, they all do. But getting caught is the problem and that's part of the game.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosef_Amit

[Expat1]

He was a Zion sayanim, pure and simple, a sayanim with US and Israeli citizenship. This is what sayanims do. They give their allegiance to Zionism and betray their US countrymen in the land of their birth. He is no different than the Rosenbergs and Fuchs. He should have been executed. This case was so prima facie that Pollard just simply pleaded guilty. The only reason he is to be released is because he sold much of his stolen information which compromised US security, even nuclear security, to Israel (who in turn sold to the Chinese and others according to intelligence community members, bear in mind this was 30 years ago during the Cold War era) and now the Israelis are pushing for his release. Filth for filth. As former CIA director Admiral Robert Inman said that the greatest threat to US security and the nation today was Israel (referring to their spying and sayanims). With these kind of friends who needs enemies.

[nodomino]

Spy on America for money and become a 'Hero' in Israel. The only reason he was not released MUCH earlier by the political administrations that prevailed during his prison term was the intelligence services who paid the price for his treason were on the brink of mutiny whenever the idea of releasing him was floated. The rank and file of the intelligence community has not yet been totally routed by the Israel First Zionists that rule the political roost in Washington.

[up-country_sinclair]

Focussing so much media attention on Pollard conveniently diverts attention from the fact that many people in government should be registered as agents for Israel.

This is the sad truth. Pollard and the other vermin need to be rooted out and dealt with severely. There should be no place in the American government for Israel Firsters.

[up-country_sinclair]

He was a Zion sayanim, pure and simple, a sayanim with US and Israeli citizenship. This is what sayanims do. They give their allegiance to Zionism and betray their US countrymen in the land of their birth. He is no different than the Rosenbergs and Fuchs. He should have been executed. This case was so prima facie that Pollard just simply pleaded guilty. The only reason he is to be released is because he sold much of his stolen information which compromised US security, even nuclear security, to Israel (who in turn sold to the Chinese and others according to intelligence community members, bear in mind this was 30 years ago during the Cold War era) and now the Israelis are pushing for his release. Filth for filth. As former CIA director Admiral Robert Inman said that the greatest threat to US security and the nation today was Israel (referring to their spying and sayanims). With these kind of friends who needs enemies.

Great post!

[JingerBen]

Spy on America for money and become a 'Hero' in Israel. The only reason he was not released MUCH earlier by the political administrations that prevailed during his prison term was the intelligence services who paid the price for his treason were on the brink of mutiny whenever the idea of releasing him was floated. The rank and file of the intelligence community has not yet been totally routed by the Israel First Zionists that rule the political roost in Washington.

Good point - and quite plausible - about why Pollard was kept in the slammer for so long.

[Jingthing]

Pollard is bad for the Jews. Besides his obvious crimes his case invites paranoid Judeophobic bigotry towards all American Jews.

Israelis who think American Jews should admire Pollard are barking up the wrong tree. Half the Jews in the world are Israelis and the other half aren't and don't wish to be. That's a good thing.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Jingthing

[Morch]

He was a Zion sayanim, pure and simple, a sayanim with US and Israeli citizenship. This is what sayanims do. They give their allegiance to Zionism and betray their US countrymen in the land of their birth. He is no different than the Rosenbergs and Fuchs. He should have been executed. This case was so prima facie that Pollard just simply pleaded guilty. The only reason he is to be released is because he sold much of his stolen information which compromised US security, even nuclear security, to Israel (who in turn sold to the Chinese and others according to intelligence community members, bear in mind this was 30 years ago during the Cold War era) and now the Israelis are pushing for his release. Filth for filth. As former CIA director Admiral Robert Inman said that the greatest threat to US security and the nation today was Israel (referring to their spying and sayanims). With these kind of friends who needs enemies.

Always amusing when posters try to use foreign words to make their words sound pro.

Pollard was said to have also attempted contacting representatives of other countries (South Africa, Pakistan and China, if I remember correctly). For all his words, he was certainly paid for the information, with the "ideological" angle seemingly a later development, more to do with garnering support for his release.

The Rosenbergs were spies for sure, but later information may indicate that the information passed to the USSR might not have merited the death penalty (unless, of course, one is of the opinion this be a mandatory punishment). Fuchs served 9 years of his sentence.

Israel selling Pollard's information to China is unlikely at best, disregarding crackpot conspiracy theory blogs and websites. Considering how classified Pollard's information was in Israel, sharing it with others would have made little sense.

While Bobby Inman filled many important posts, he was actually the deputy director of the CIA (1981-1982), Later signposts included directorships in Blackwater (in its various reincarnations), ISC, Massey Energy and for those favoring conspiracy theories, CFR. Wouldn't know that his assessment of Israel is accepted as gospel among the USA Intelligence community.

[Morch]

Spy on America for money and become a 'Hero' in Israel. The only reason he was not released MUCH earlier by the political administrations that prevailed during his prison term was the intelligence services who paid the price for his treason were on the brink of mutiny whenever the idea of releasing him was floated. The rank and file of the intelligence community has not yet been totally routed by the Israel First Zionists that rule the political roost in Washington.

Which intelligence services "paid the price" for this treason, specifically? As far as I am aware, the full and exact nature of the information in question remained classified. On the bring of mutiny? Do share. As for rank and file, wasn't Pollard himself rank and file?

In my opinion, the involvement of Israeli politicians on his behalf (or more correctly, for domestic political gains), plus the extensive media coverage and public campaign shot his chances of being released earlier. All of these contributed to making it matter of principal on the USA's part (not a bad thing). If things were kept quiet, the story would have died and Pollard might have been out long ago. In a sense, those opposing Israel, Israeli espionage in the USA and Israeli influence on the USA political system couldn't have asked for a better thing. Guess each instance this was brought up between the countries, relationship suffered.

Edited November 20, 2015 by Morch

[MyFriend You]

Israel has been bargaining for years to get him released. It's impressive that he's been held so long, and that he'll still be on probation.

What?? He was given a Life Sentence and only did twenty years - keep him in New York for the full five years to add insult along with punishment. What he did may have not been nearly as bad as some of the others, he broke the Law and has to ay for his crime - Plain & Simple.

As Mr Trump says "We are a country of laws, and you break the law you shave to pay the price" Allowing him to immigrate to Isreal would be a reward he doesn't deserve.

[Somtamnication]

Hope this traitor visits Al Aqsa mosque and gets shot.

[DeaconJohn]

Pollard is bad for the Jews. Besides his obvious crimes his case invites paranoid Judeophobic bigotry towards all American Jews.

Israelis who think American Jews should admire Pollard are barking up the wrong tree. Half the Jews in the world are Israelis and the other half aren't and don't wish to be. That's a good thing.

It is the behaviour and actions of Jews like Pollard that create hostility against them all over the world.

[DeaconJohn]

Israel has been bargaining for years to get him released. It's impressive that he's been held so long, and that he'll still be on probation.

What?? He was given a Life Sentence and only did twenty years - keep him in New York for the full five years to add insult along with punishment. What he did may have not been nearly as bad as some of the others, he broke the Law and has to ay for his crime - Plain & Simple.

As Mr Trump says "We are a country of laws, and you break the law you shave to pay the price" Allowing him to immigrate to Isreal would be a reward he doesn't deserve.

Being exiled to New York City wouldn't be an "insult" to Pollard.

There are neighborhoods on the Upper East Side, Brooklyn, and Queens where he would feel like he had arrived in the Promised Land.

[Scott]

The topic is now running here:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/872388-convicted-spy-pollard-is-released-from-prison-after-30-years/

//Closed//