DATE=1/18/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42390
TITLE=THE POLLARD CASE
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS ORDERED A FORMAL REVIEW OF THE CASE
OF JONATHAN POLLARD, THE FORMER U-S NAVAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER
WHO IN 1987 WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SELLING TOP
SECRET INFORMATION TO ISRAEL. HOWEVER, C-I-A DIRECTOR GEORGE
TENET HAS THREATENED TO RESIGN IF POLLARD IS FREED, AND OTHER U-S
OFFICIALS, PAST AND PRESENT, ALSO HAVE STRONGLY OBJECTED. WHILE,
SOME AMERICAN JEWISH GROUPS, AS WELL AS THE LIKUD PARTY IN
ISRAEL, HAVE ASKED FOR CLEMENCY -- MANY HAVE NOT TAKEN A
POSITION. VOA'S ED WARNER REPORTS ON THE CONTROVERSY.
TEXT: SPIES ARE AS OLD AS THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC AND HAVE BEEN
PARTICULARLY PLENTIFUL IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. EVEN SO,
INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS SAY THE JONATHAN POLLARD CASE IS SOMETHING
SPECIAL. THEY BELIEVE THE AMERICAN SPY FOR ISRAEL STOLE MORE
VITAL DOCUMENTS THAN ANY OTHER AGENT IN U-S HISTORY.
JOSEPH DIGENOVA IS A FORMER U-S ATTORNEY WHO PROSECUTED POLLARD:
// DIGENOVA ACT //
IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT WAS
COMPROMISED AND THE LEVEL OF ITS SECURITY, THE POLLARD
CASE IS, IN FACT, THE WORST BECAUSE HE COMPROMISED
SOURCES AND METHODS INFORMATION OF AN ASTOUNDINGLY VAST
ARRAY IN INCREDIBLE QUANTITIES. IT IS UNMATCHED IN TERMS
OF THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF INFORMATION COMPROMISED
IN AN ESPIONAGE CASE.
// END ACT //
POLLARD MANAGED TO DO THIS, SAYS MR. DIGENOVA, EVEN THOUGH HIS
BEHAVIOR SHOULD HAVE AROUSED SUSPICION. HE WAS KNOWN AS A HEAVY
DRUG USER WHO SPENT LAVISHLY AND WAS DEEPLY IN DEBT. HE BORROWED
FROM COLLEAGUES TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE BY SEYMOUR HERSH IN THE NEW YORKER
MAGAZINE, POLLARD QUITE OPENLY CARRIED OFF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS.
ON ONE OCCASION, HE PILED SO MUCH INTO A HANDCART THAT SECURITY
GUARDS HAD TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR HIM.
AMONG HIS ACQUISITIONS WAS THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY'S TEN
VOLUME MANUAL ON U-S COMMUNICATIONS AND SIGNALS LINKS. "IT IS THE
BIBLE," AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER TOLD MR. HERSH. "IT TELLS HOW WE
COLLECT SIGNALS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD."
INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS BELIEVE SOME OF THE MATERIAL GOT INTO
SOVIET HANDS. IN THEIR OPINION, EITHER THE ISRAELIS TRADED THE
INFORMATION FOR JEWS TRYING TO LEAVE THE SOVIET UNION OR KGB
SPIES IN ISRAEL OBTAINED IT. A CLOSE READING OF THE DOCUMENTS
WOULD HAVE REVEALED U-S SOURCES IN THE SOVIET UNION AND MAY WELL
HAVE COST THEM THEIR LIVES.
JOSEPH DIGENOVA SAYS POLLARD DID NOT DO ALL THIS ALONE. HE HAD
SUBSTANTIAL HELP WITHIN THE BUREAUCRACY:
// DIGENOVA ACT //
THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN BELIEVED BECAUSE MR. POLLARD WAS
GIVEN THE NUMBERS, THE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED INTELLIGENCE
NUMBERS OF SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS TO GET. AND NO ONE WOULD
HAVE KNOWN THOSE NUMBERS UNLESS THEY HAD INTITIAL ACCESS
TO THEM. SO IT IS CLEAR THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON IN THE
ESPIONAGE RING WHO WAS HELPING MR. POLLARD'S ISRAELI
HANDLERS. THAT WE ARE SURE OF.
// END ACT //
MR. DIGENOVA SAYS CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WERE UNDER SUSPICION, BUT
NOTHING COULD BE PROVED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH ANY DEFINITE
CONCLUSIONS, SAYS MR DIGENOVA, SINCE ISRAEL HAS RETURNED VERY
LITTLE OF THE STOLEN MATERIAL.
SOME JEWISH GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE CALLED FOR POLLARD'S
RELEASE ON THE GROUNDS HE WAS SPYING FOR A CLOSE ALLY AND HAS
SUFFERED ENOUGH FOR WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A SELFLESS ACT. BUT
OTHERS POINT OUT HE TOOK MONEY FOR SPYING AND OFFERED HIS
SERVICES TO COUNTRIES BEYOND ISRAEL.
BARRY JACOBS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AND
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE, SAYS HIS
ORGANIZATION HAS NOT TAKEN A POSITION ON THE CASE:
// JACOBS ACT //
I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COME
OUT PUBLICLY THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD EITHER GRANT THE
PARDON OR HAVE URGED THAT A PARDON BE CONSIDERED, BUT I
DO NOT THINK THAT IS THE POSITION OF MOST OF THE JEWISH
ORGANIZATIONS.
// END ACT //
//OPT// MR. JACOBS SAYS JONATHAN POLLARD'S WIFE COMPLAINS THAT
THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITY HAS NOT DONE ENOUGH FOR HER
HUSBAND, WHO SHE THINKS SHOULD BE PARDONED AND ALLOWED TO MOVE TO
ISRAEL. //END OPT//
ACCORDING TO MR. JACOBS, THE MEDIA HAVE EXAGGERATED JEWISH
SUPPORT FOR POLLARD. BUT OPINION IS BY NO MEANS UNIFORM:
// JACOBS ACT //
WHEN THE POLLARD CASE CAME TO LIGHT, THERE WAS A GREAT
SENSE OF SHAME IN GENERAL AMONG THE AMERICAN JEWISH
COIMMUNITY, A GREAT SENSE OF ANGER, A GREAT SENSE OF
ALMOST BETRAYAL TIME HAS PASSED, AND THERE IS DEBATE
ABOUT THE PENALTY, BUT THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE ARGUING THIS
MAN IS NOT GUILTY OF A VERY, VERY SERIOUS CRIME.
// END ACT //
MR. JACOBS DOUBTS JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS HAVE PUT PRESSURE ON
PRESIDENT CLINTON TO FREE JONATHAN POLLARD. IN ANY EVENT, A
NUMBER OF TOP OFFICIALS, INCLUDING SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE
ALBRIGHT AND DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN, HAVE URGED THE
PRESIDENT TO KEEP HIM IN PRISON.
THAT IS ALSO THE POSITION OF THE PENTAGON, THE C-I-A AND THE
F-B-I. "JUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE TO THIS POINT," SAID AN FBI
SPOKESMAN. "TO RELEASE POLLARD NOW WOULD UNDO EVERYTHING THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTORS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ACCOMPLISH."
(SIGNED)
NEB/EW/WFR
18-Jan-99 3:59 PM EST (2059 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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