Jonathan Pollard and his friends.

       
       


Pollard's friends are remarkably active of late.  Four members of the House have signed a letter to Obama pleading for clemency for this convicted spy and traitor. They include Barney Frank, Anthony Weiner and a couple of other dummies.  Their justification is the argument that such a gesture would be encouraging to the Israeli people "in this time of their need."  Frank and Weiner puzzle me.  I would find Frank a comic person if it were not for his obvious skill in financial legislation.  Weiner? Much the same thing although I seem to remember that he wrote some nonsense about Israel's innocence in its treacherous attack on USS Liberty. 

And then there is Lawrence Korb, a former assistant secretary of defense.  His defense of espionage and treason against the US is simply incomprehensible.  Does Pollard's betrayal of his trusted access to US Navy war plans count for nothing to Korb?

 
And there is also James Woolsey, the former DCI and self proclaimed "anchor of the Presbyterian wing of the neocon movement."  Is he a Presbyterian?  He, too, is reported in the Jerusalem Post to have asked for mercy for Pollard, that noble citizen of Israel.

Pollard should have been executed for his cold blooded and mercenary betrayal of what was once his country.  If that had been done, we would not have to listen to this confusion of values.  pl 

Comments

[William R. Cumming]

Clearly Pollard is a thorn in the side of Israeli/US policy and not just because of Israeli allegience to the principal of trying to rescue their own! Exactly what was Pollard's status as a citizen of US and/or Israeli both before detection and afterwards? Was this status if a dual citizen known to his security vetters?

[Patrick Lang]

WRC

He was given Israeli citizenship by the Knesset while serving his life sentence for espionage. pl

[John Minnerath]

A US citizen spies for a foreign government.
He passes them highly classified documents and is convicted of espionage and treason.
Yeah, should have been executed; but anyway, the government he was an agent for was/is a friend and ally of ours (?).
So, they reward him with citizenship while he's serving a life sentence in our prison.
And now friends of his in our government defend him!
What is wrong with this picture!!!

[Buzz Meeks]

You answered your own question. The United States counts for nothing to these people. Nice to start seeing a rouges gallery of the AIPAC Fifth Column up here.

Perhaps this should become a weekly feature. I would like to see the weekly winners weighted and thrown into a North Carolina pig factory manure lagoon.

Buzz Meeks

[batondor]

Buzz Meeks,

First, let me state unequivocally that I agree with Pat Lang (except for the part about capital punishment because I oppose it without exception... but that's my problem).

Second, I don't think you should lump Frank and Pascrell with the others because I really think that they are grasping for something to keep the current peace talks going...

"Another quid pro quo for a 'settlement freeze' extension? Frank isn't exactly known for being pro-Israel, and Pascrell was one of the signers of the Hamas 54 letter."

from http://israelmatzav.blogspot.com/2010/09/congressional-letter-to-obama-urges.html (w/ the links... and yes, the writer is an ultra-Zionist with his own ax to grind...)

... and just to be clear, is this the guy one wants in Barney Frank's seat?

check out http://seanbielat.com/ and go to VIEWS->ISRAEL

No doubt Barney Frank is trying to insure his reelection, so I would simply ask you this: which of these two, Frank and Bielat, is more likely to support a preemptive strike against Iran?

As for Woolsey and Kolb, I must admit that I have no doubts about what motivates the former but am surprised by the latter. His declarations that suggest that Pollard was a victim or pawn of sorts is very surprising, as Pat Lang has suggested...

see: http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=191625

My sense before this new development was that Korb has been among a small community of well-credentialed critics of the previous administration.

I hope that you and Pat Lang will accept this in the spirit that it is offered...

[Jake]

There is no reason for any of these guys to even be playing this fiddle. The damage done to us was extensive. I would love to know just where or to whom our SIOP ended up?

I am not for capital punishment as well and life suits me just fine. If Hanssen can get life and no one from Russia is asking for his release then there is no release for Pollard.

[John Minnerath]

The above links to why Pollard's release is supported is pure political gamesmanship; at our, expense.
Support for Pollards release by elected officials and others in influential positions is unconscionable.
It chills my blood and makes it boil at the same time to think about their actions.
Pollard is a traitor to his country, may he rot in prison to his dying day.

[Bernie]

Check out <http://original.antiwar.com/weinberger/2010/10/17/caspar-w-weinberger-jonathan-pollard/>

It seems somewhat timely.

BD

[samuelburke]

well said Col Lang.
The politics of money in getting elected and the politics of the israel lobby in getting people fired and hired plays a mighty big hand in this soap opera of embarrassment to the United States of America.

i like what the fbi seems to be doing in setting up these jewish americans who have turncoat on the u.s.

like cockroaches they will run from the light once they come on.

[LanceThruster]

Pollard's treachery was responsible for the torture and deaths of intelligence operatives as well as their contacts and family members, possibly in the hundreds.

That he so callously cost them their lives as well as the damage he did to United States security is enough condemn those who would lobby for any sort of leniency towards him.

[Buzz Meeks]

Batondor,

My sense is that any "peace process" has been shadow puppet theater from the start and will always be until the dual nationals are forced out of the United States executive, legislative and judicial branches. The same with state legislatures.

Your statement about settlements does not address the thrust of the Col.'s post or my take on the AIPAC Fifth Column. Israeli espionage and its long term damage to my country. Period.

By the way, I am stuck with Schummer and the downstate congressional delegation. Doesn't matter a twit about Frank or the AIPAC handout you linked with Bielat. They will make it happen.

Sincerely,

Buzz Meeks

[J]

Scott Horton Interviews Grant F. Smith

http://antiwar.com/radio/2010/10/14/grant-f-smith-11/

"Grant F. Smith, director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C., discusses the Israel-Palestine peace talks that exist only as a U.S. midterm election political sideshow, the quick and effective legal solution to the problem of excessive Israel-lobby influence, the pattern of generous treatment toward spies Marc Rich

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/joe_conason/2009/01/16/holder

and Ben-Ami Kadish

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/nyregion/30kadish.html

that could mean a Jonathan Pollard pardon is in the works and why learning the identity of super-spy “Mega”

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,986347,00.html

isn’t very important while Congress regularly performs the same role."
MP3 (27:11)

http://dissentradio.com/radio/10_10_01_smith.mp3

[J]

Colonel,

Korb's actions turns my stomach. To think that somebody who once upon a mule was an Asst. OSD now supports foreign espionage against our U.S., is appalling.

[Lord Curzon]

This is pure Kafka - these clowns should be taken to one side and asked what is their real motivation in standing up for Pollard. The answers should prove illuminating.

[Charlie Wilson]

Why don't we offer citizenship to all the Palis in prison in Izzy, especially the kids.

[Rider]

"encouraging to the Israeli people"

Do they really need encouraging? They seem to be pretty bold at this particular time, in fact telling the U.S., their last remaining friend in the world, to go stuff itself.

[Phil Giraldi]

Charlie, it wouldn't make any differenct to give Palestinians in Israeli prisons US citizenship as the State Department wouldn't do anything to help them. The record of State defending the rights of US citizens arrested or harassed in Israel is deplorable.

[Fred]

I'm sure they'll trade requests for Pollard's release away for US support of the Isreali 'loyalty oath'.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11571064

[walrus]

"Encouraging the Israeli people"?

How about encouraging them by executing Pollard, Nozette and anyone else caught, requiring AIPAC to register as agents of a foreign power, cutting off all aid and applying sanctions to Israel and purging dual nationals from Government? How about them maintaining said sanctions till the Palestinians advise us they are satisfied with the peace deal Israel negotiates with them?

That is the sort of "encouragement" the Israelis need.

[Jake]

Why do I even bother anymore....

Got a letter from Dick Luger's Office regarding his position on Israel and its nukes. Why do staffer think that most if not all the public is stupid on the issue?

Here is the sentence in the letter that I just bang my head on my desk over....

"Official Israeli nuclear policy has long stated, "Israel will not be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Middle East"".

Introduce? Introduce? What is the meaning of that word? Light one off? Or WTF Over? And we have the nerve to pound Iran?

The letter goes on to say Israel has formal diplomatic relations with the IAEA... Really! Doesn't say that GOI is blocking inspections......

What's the deal here really?

So now I am forced to write back and challenge the "introduction" verbiage? What duckspeak! Just disappointing especially coming from Luger's Office....

[Anthony]

Israeli-firsters are even more blatant these days, check this piece by Daniel Pipes and try not to puke:

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/250159/israel-and-congressional-democrats-daniel-pipes

[Bart]

Lord C., it's not Kafka, it's chutzpa; that we would release a traitor in exchange for a brief pause in the ever-expanding settlements. Maybe we could trade his sorry ass for an end to and withdrawal of all settlements.

[Lord Curzon]

Bart,

I'd rather the US Government put him in the general population of one of the more notorious prisons of the land, and quietly whisper to those who really run the place about his traitorous activities. I imagine his arse would indeed be in a most sorry state for the duration of his sentence.

[John Waring]

What became of Pollard's handler? Was he terminated? If yes, perfectly understandable. If no, why not?

[Jake]

"The numbers plainly compel Israel supporters to vote Democrats out." Daniel Pipes...

God bless the First Amendment...

Yes let not just sell our souls but let also sell our Country down the toilet. I am very sorry to say that while I believe Israel has the right to live in peace just as the Palestinians do my support for the GOI is dwindling...