by Gil Hoffman
Prof. says Pollard was only one sentenced to life for passing information to ally state without intending to harm US.
Jonathan Pollard red, white and blue Photo: Courtesy
Prof. Angelo Codevilla, who was on the professional staff of the Senate
Intelligence Committee at the time of the arrest of Israeli agent Jonathan
Pollard, wrote US President Barack Obama, offering him expert testimony on the
case.
In the letter, which was obtained Thursday, Codevilla wrote Obama that Pollard was the only person ever sentenced to life in prison for the crime of passing information to an ally without intent to harm the United States. He responded to accusations that Pollard might have been guilty of more than that crime.
“Having been intimately acquainted with the materials that Pollard passed and with the sources and methods by which they were gathered, I would be willing to give expert testimony that Pollard is guilty of neither more nor less than what the indictment alleges,” Codevilla wrote.
Pollard received a boost earlier this week when former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, a close ally of Obama, called upon him to commute Pollard’s sentence when he commutes others ahead of Christmas.
In the letter, which was obtained Thursday, Codevilla wrote Obama that Pollard was the only person ever sentenced to life in prison for the crime of passing information to an ally without intent to harm the United States. He responded to accusations that Pollard might have been guilty of more than that crime.
“Having been intimately acquainted with the materials that Pollard passed and with the sources and methods by which they were gathered, I would be willing to give expert testimony that Pollard is guilty of neither more nor less than what the indictment alleges,” Codevilla wrote.
Pollard received a boost earlier this week when former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, a close ally of Obama, called upon him to commute Pollard’s sentence when he commutes others ahead of Christmas.
Gil Hoffman
Source: http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Intel-analyst-offers-expert-testimony-to-Obama-on-Pollard-334886
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
1 comment:
A year after Jonathan Pollard was imprisoned, I attended a meeting where Pollard's father spoke. He explained his son's excellent performance record in the Navy, leading up to his position in Naval Intelligence. Pollard was strongly oriented to Israel through his own feelings, not because he was "recruited". Two key events occurred before his capture.
1. He learned that US Intelligence knowledge of Lybia making chemical weapons of military significance, was not shared with Israel, as the treaty between US and Israel then in force, required.
2. He had access to a Defense Dept. conference room where international delegations met and planted a recording system. He had a recording of Cap Weinberger divulging to the Saudis, Israel's defenses, radars etc.
During his pre-trial negotiations with the US, he agreed to plead guilty provided that his wife was exonerated; Cap Weinberger got a last minute personal message to the Court (Judge) causing the US Gov't to welch on the agreement, and, to never let Pollard see the light of day, because his revelations to Israel were so harmful to the US. (Rather, Weinberger was afraid of what Pollard knew about him)
Cap Weinberger is dead, (2006) but the US still wants to protect his reputation and that of the Court. The harsh treatment of Pollard is a result of the shame brought upon this case by Weinberger. Your comparisons of treason punishments to others, lacks an explanation. Maybe this is it.
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