{"id":110967,"date":"2014-04-02T07:36:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-02T07:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/?guid=c0e5b9c0e8b59152005b941dfbfc9a22"},"modified":"2014-04-02T07:36:00","modified_gmt":"2014-04-02T07:36:00","slug":"jonathan-pollards-imminent-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/rinf.com\/alt-news\/editorials\/jonathan-pollards-imminent-release\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan Pollard’s Imminent Release?"},"content":{"rendered":"
Jonathan Pollard’s Imminent Release?<\/b><\/div>\n
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by Stephen Lendman<\/div>\n
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On Monday, John Kerry traveled to Israel for the 11th time. He did so relating to sham peace talks. Last July they began. No progress whatever was achieved.<\/div>\n
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Kerry wants Palestinians relinquishing fundamental rights too important to sacrifice. He’s Israel’s man in Washington.<\/div>\n
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An April 29 deadline approaches. Kerry wants it extended. He wants more time for bullying and bluster.<\/div>\n
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He spent Monday in discussions with Netanyahu and Palestinian negotiators. He left Tuesday. He did so to attend day two Brussels NATO ministers talks. <\/div>\n
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He’ll return on Wednesday for further discussions. Or will he? On Tuesday evening, he said he won’t return after PLO officials said they’ll apply for membership to 15 world organizations. They include the International Criminal Court.<\/div>\n
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It’s their legal right to do so. Kerry isn’t pleased. He wants Palestinians denied all rights. Talks will continue, he said. It’s “up to the parties” to make progress, he added.<\/div>\n
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Speculation grows about an imminent Pollard release. In 1985, he was arrested. He’s an American convicted on spying for Israel. <\/div>\n
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He’s the only person in US history sentenced to life imprisonment for spying on an ally. Customary punishment is 10 years except in cases involving a US agent’s death.<\/div>\n
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Or with regard to “nuclear weaponry\u2026war plans, communications intelligence or cryptographic information.” According to a CIA 1987 damage assessment, Pollard wasn’t asked to spy on US military activities.<\/div>\n
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Just collect US information on Arab states, Soviet Russia and Pakistan, especially key weapons systems. <\/div>\n
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Israel asked for a signals intelligence manual. They wanted it to monitor Soviet advisers in Syria. <\/div>\n
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CIA’s assessment said Israelis “never expressed interest in US military activities, plans, capabilities or equipment.”<\/div>\n
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Pollard was voluntarily willing to supply information beyond what his handlers requested. <\/div>\n
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He provided over 1,500 daily Middle East and North Africa Summar(ies) (MENAS), Mediterranean Littoral Intelligence Summar(ies) (MELOS), Indian Ocean Littoral Intelligence Summar(ies), plus over 800 over stolen documents on other targets.<\/div>\n
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CIA’s assessment suggested his personal life and professional behavior warranted alerting his superiors about a potential security risk.<\/div>\n
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Naval intelligence Task Force 168 was involved in HUMINT (human intelligence) collection. During a 1980 assignment with the operation, Pollard made false statements.<\/div>\n
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Rafi Eitan headed Mossad’s operation to kidnap Adolph Eichmann. He was Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s terrorism advisor. <\/div>\n
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He assumed responsibility for the Pollard affair. He resigned over what happened. He’s now aged 87.<\/div>\n
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In 2006, he said Pollard provided “information of such high quality and accuracy, so good and so important to (Israel’s) security (that) my desire, my appetite to get more and more material overcame me.”<\/div>\n
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US officials said documents he collected would have measured 6 x 6 feet wide and 10 feet high.<\/div>\n
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State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said “Pollard was convicted of espionage and is serving his sentence. I do not have any update for you on his status.  <\/div>\n
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Hardline Israeli officials said releasing Palestinian prisoners they want incarcerated is too high a price for his freedom.<\/div>\n
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Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon said he’d quit Netanyahu’s coalition government if they’re freed. Combining it with Pollard’s release doesn’t matter, he stressed.<\/div>\n
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On April 1, Haaretz headlined<\/span><\/a> “Senior Israeli official: Deal on settlement freeze for Pollard’s release nearly sealed.” <\/div>\n
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Unnamed “senior Israeli officials” said Kerry and Netanyahu sealed “most\u2026details of the deal to extend peace talks,” Haaretz reported. <\/div>\n
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Palestinians were blackmailed to accept. They were bullied to do so. Disobeying Washington means unspecified consequences. Terms allegedly agreed on include:<\/div>\n
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