"U.S. talks with Israel on release of spy Jonathan Pollard" Politico

"The United States is talking with Israel about the possibility of releasing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard early from his life sentence as an incentive in the troubled Mideast peace negotiations, a person familiar with the situation said Monday. Such an extraordinary step would show the urgency of U.S. efforts to keep negotiations alive. The person cautioned that a Pollard release — which would be a dramatic turnaround from previous refusals — was far from certain and that discussions with Israel on the matter were continuing. The person spoke only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the negotiations on the record."  Politico

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Idiocy.  pl  

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/03/jonathan-pollard-israel-release-105212.html

Comments

[Buzz Meeks]

You could smell this one coming a mile away. How much more being punked by Israel are you willing to take?

[walrus]

Not idiocy, non sequitor.

[turcopolier]

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Walrus. Yes. They will pocket this and give us nothing. Why should they? Pl

[different clue]

Since we have declined to release Pollard for this long, even the GOI's default assumption would have to be that our default position remains the retention of Pollard. Does Israel even have the power to punk us on this? Or is it a free gift which the Obama Group freely wants to give the Netanyahu Group to fabricate the appearance of saving the peace talks? Is this simply Obama/Kerry/etc.s gift to look good on stage? Would this be more Obama's narcissim and Kerry's pride than anything else? Can the intelligence community and the armed forces community generate so much painful counterpressure so fast that the offer is cancelled? Could enough letters and calls to officeholders matter?

If Pollard is that valuable to Israel, the least we should get in exchange is the unilateral Israeli dismantlement of every Israeli-built structure throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, plus the gunpoint roundup and forced march of every Israeli in those places back into Israel Proper in a non-reversible manner, plus the removal of every waste dump or any other trace of presence which the PNA and Syria would find to be objectionable, plus the removal of every bit of pipeline or other infrastructure involved in removing West Bank or East Jerusalem or Golan Heights water into Israel, plus the repositioning of the Great Chinese Wall of Israel onto Israel's own border. Insist the government pass new laws cancelling the Annexation Laws for EJ and GH. That would be getting something for Pollard.

[jerseycityjoan]

Who does Israel government have lined up to take our place on the day they finally push us one step too far?

They never seem to think about that.

All the recent talk about avoiding conflict with Russia because we both have nuclear weapons made me think about Israel and its nuclear weapons. Will the day come that they start threatening people with those? So many of their leaders seem to think Israel can separate itself from the rest of us and operate in a parallel universe where "Israel rules" that can be changed at any time with no consequences apply.

It is childlike thinking.

I am sick of thinking about them and their problems.

They clearly want to continue the status quo. They do not want an agreement. There is no "incentive" there can only be a stupid giveaway. That we even allow them to get us discussing Jonathan Pollard indicates our own weakness.

We can refuse and we should.

The only incentive would be for us to give them a deadline and tell them we're walking away if they don't meet it. Let them face their neighbors on their own. It's about time they do.

[Jose]

Fund raising for the BSHO Library has begun!!!!

[505thPIR]

List his crimes and their impact in the most complete, yet simplistic terms and get them out on social media. MSM will not do so. Get the word out, there is a pithy bunch of "the great unwashed" who will see it for what it is and raise Cain.

At least do so here as complete and irrefutably as possible and let the cutting,pasting and sharing begin.

[MRW]

Idiocy? How about treason.

[RetiredPatriot]

Maybe he can be mailed back to his adopted country in a black bag sewn tightly shut? To me, that would be fitting.

RP

[oofda]

Idiocy indeed.
On the other hand, does he have to actually be alive when the U.S. releases him?

[confusedponderer]

Hmm, while idiody is a most plausible description, it could also be an early April's fool's attempt at a joke.

[David Habakkuk]

505thPIR

A truly excellent idea. This is a golden opportunity for some useful ‘hasbara’, and it really should not be missed.

[turcopolier]

All
SST will do its best to make clear Pollard's status as an Israeli spy against the United States. As we know the MSM will not do it for whatever reasons. My preferred form of release would be delivery to the Israeli Embassy in a marked US Marshals' service van. He should be released in front of the embassy in prison clothes in his usual unkempt condition with the key to his manacles left in his pocket. He should simply be left in the street for the Israelis to retrieve. alas! None of that will happen. I see that Martin Indyk is behind this. pl

[Anna-Marina]

This is prostitution and treason in one package. The Pollard story must be placed next to the story of a crime committed by Israel against the USS Liberty.

[Marcy C.]

Marcy C.

Gentlemen, Mr. Pollard has been in jail without access to any good information for a long time. Why would his bosses want him back, he does seem a bit useless as a spy nowadays?

[rjj]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itIwrWPQ00E#t=224

people who actually know something can evaluate this clip.

[rjj]

can evaluate THE UTILITY of this.

[jonst]

Personally, I think this--if it happens--is less about getting the Netanyahu Govt to go along with anything. I think most understand, even if they don't want to admit it in public, the talks are going nowhere for fundamental, long standing, reasons inherent in the dispute. I think however, that saying that is why the US govt is compromising, is a way to cover nothing more than a financial transaction. This is about money (personal and campaign related), and election wish/dreams about voters in Florida. My take anyway....

I'm usually firmly with the Col in rejecting economic determinism. However, increasingly, I can little else motivating the elite of this nation.

[ISL]

Jose: Perhaps the library will be on the shores of the River Jordan?

Realistically, it sounds like one of the gestures inbred emperors of the past made as a sign of their benevolence. Or something from a bad hollywood movie.

[JohnH]

And what will BO and Kerry get in return? Like Esau, a mess of pottage? More likely a few promises, which Israel will never deliver...

[LeaNder]

David, off topic admittedly, but in case you are around. I wish I hadn't forgotten the name of your Jewish friend. At the time I looked up his father, a German emigrant, and there was a book I found highly interesting. Usually I save it, but for whatever reason I didn't at the time.

[MRW]

"Release Pollard At the Nation's Peril"
by former past directors of Naval Intelligence, William Studeman, Sumner Shapiro, John L. Butts and Thomas Brooks, December 12, 1998
http://tinyurl.com/pollardthetraitor

"Jonathan Pollard is serving a life sentence for stealing massive amounts of highly classified and extremely sensitive U.S. national security information. In terms of sheer volume of sensitive information betrayed, Jonathan Pollard rivals any of the traitors who have plagued this nation in recent times. Nobody is clamoring for the release of traitors like Aldrich Ames, John Walker or Jerry Whitworth, but Pollard, by manipulating his supporters and conducting a clever public relations campaign both here and in Israel, has managed to generate a small but vocal movement advocating that he be released and allowed to emigrate to Israel, where he expects to be something of a national hero.

We, who are painfully familiar with the case, feel obligated to go on record with the facts regarding Pollard in order to dispel the myths that have arisen from this clever public relations campaign aimed at transforming Pollard from greedy, arrogant betrayer of the American national trust into Pollard, committed Israeli patriot.

Pollard pleaded guilty and therefore never was publicly tried. Thus, the American people never came to know that he offered classified information to three other countries before working for the Israelis and that he offered his services to a fourth country while he was spying for Israel. They also never came to understand that he was being very highly paid for his services -- including an impressive nest egg currently in foreign banks -- and was negotiating with his Israeli handlers for a raise as he was caught. So much for Jonathan Pollard, ideologue!"

Israelis are traitors to everything the US stands for in demanding this, and I'm exercising extreme restraint in noting this.

[jon]

Maybe it would be more appropriate for Israel to first permit Mordechai Vanunu to emigrate from Israel, where he now lives essentially in house arrest.

There should be no consideration of releasing Pollard, particularly if not in exchange for something of equal or greater value. The offer to think about starting meetings about negotiations is inherently valueless. The likelihood of these negotiation leading to any tangible results is vanishingly small. Israel is currently seizing yet more Palestinian land, a move calculated to poison any hopes of productive negotiations.

Maybe the appropriate US counter offer would be to threaten to withhold a few hundred million of our annual appropriations to Israel, and to slow down some weapons shipments?

[turcopolier]

jonst

IMO this is all about John Kerry's massive narcissistic ego and his lust for a Nobel. At the same time Indyk is at this side urging obedience to Israel. pl

[Fred]

Mary,

To teach the US who's in charge and to show to all the other spies they have just what Israel can do for them when they get caught.