There was a great exchange on Wolf Blitzer the other night between Rep Eliot Engel, a cosponsor of the most recent bill to get Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard released, and the prosecutor in the original case, Joseph di Genova, a former US Attorney for DC who prosecuted Pollard on the topic. It’s here.
The remarkable aspect of this exchange: Engel stuck robotically to his script – Pollard received the harshest sentence ever for someone spying for a “friendly” country. The gestalt: Pollard is the victim and so is Israel, because the U.S. was holding out on them on vital intelligence.
Watching Engel was pathetic because he clearly had no depth on this issue. Di Genova set him straight on a lot of the facts that he had wrong about the case, especially the late Caspar Weinberger’s role in the harsh sentence. What was even more interesting, from my view, was the effect Engel’s behavior had on di Genova. My sense is that di Genova at the beginning of the exchange was sort of sympathetic to the view that Pollard had served enough time – recall as prosecutor he was willing to let Pollard cop a plea for less than the maximum sentence but the judge in the case ignored his recommendation and imposed it. But by the end of the exchange, di Genova was so ticked off with Engel’s bloviating on this issue that he had clearly shifted to the “let Pollard rot camp.”
Di Genova pointed out that Pollard has never applied for parole. My sense is that he has not done so because he would have to agree to work with the Intelligence Community on a damage assessment. He also pointed out that Pollard had secretly taken Israeli citizenship and $500k in exchange for a 10 year deal with the Israelis to keep spying. Finally, what di Genova did not mention, but I have read and heard from very senior counterintelligence people involved in the case, is that our “friend” Israel took some of the most sensitive material Pollard gave them and traded it to the Soviets in exchange for the release of Soviet Jews.
For intelligence professionals, the Pollard case is like the Liberty attack: An open sore that the lobby keeps picking. My take away from last night’s exchange is that Engel’s ham-handed and lunk-headed approach will ensure this sore continues to fester.
How revealing that senators for Israel like Engel simply do the lobby’s bidding, without actually bothering to inform themselves of any facts. Proof, if any were needed, that these useful fools for Israel simply do as they are told, have no real interest in what may or may not be good for the US, or for justice, and simply do as they are told. Uttering inanities and blatant lies seems to be a habit of the Israel lobby, who have grown so fat on the proceeds of their own success, that they blithely assume they can get whatever they want, by saying whatever they want, and the stupid American system will roll over for them. Transpose this to Iran, and you can see why so many shills for Israel have absolutely no idea what they are talking about, have no great interest in it, but are doing their job, faithfully doing their paymaster’s bidding. Truly sickening bunch of amoral patsies who fail the very first test, which is loyalty to the US, its way of life and its people. Americans died so that Israel could trade with the USSR, thanks to Pollard, now Israel demands that Americans could die in their pursuit of nuclear hegemony in the ME. A more callous, brutish country is hard to imagine.
The pressure on Obama to pardon Pollard is enormous and I expect it to be approved. It should be instructive to watch the “hero’s welcome” Pollard gets upon his release to Israel.
Parole was abolished in the federal system several decades ago. The best any federal inamte can hope for is a maximum 10% reduction in sentence for good beahvior.
“The Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 abolished parole eligibility for federal offenders who commit offenses on or after November 1, 1987. It also provided for the abolition of the United States Parole Commission on November 1, 1992. However, when the Congress provided for the abolition of the Parole Commission, it failed to make adequate provision for persons sentenced under the law in effect prior to November 1, 1987, who had not completed their prison terms by the phase-out date. Elimination or reduction of parole eligibility for such cases would raise serious ex post facto clause issues. Therefore, the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 extended the Commission an additional five years (until November 1, 1997) to handle “old law” cases. The Parole Commission Phaseout Act of 1996 again extended the Parole Commission for an additional five years (until November 1, 2002) for the same reason. In addition, the Parole Commission Phaseout Act of 1996 requires the Attorney General to report to Congress yearly, commencing in May 1998, as to whether it is most cost-effective for the Parole Commission to remain a separate agency or whether its functions (and personnel) should be assigned elsewhere. If the Attorney General recommends incorporating the Parole Commission’s functions in another component of the Department of Justice, the Attorney General’s plan shall take effect in November of the year in which it is submitted, unless Congress by law provides otherwise. If the parole functions are transferred pursuant to this provision, they will continue as long as necessary without respect to the November l, 2002, expiration date provided elsewhere in the legislation. The Act also reinstates the twelve-year limitation on service as a Parole Commissioner contained in the Parole Commission and Reorganization Act of 1976, and provides for the reduction in the number of Commissioners to two Commissioners on December 31, 1999, and to one Commissioner on December 31, 2001.”
http://www.momy.org/parole.htm
It is typical of the free-Pollard crowd that they have consistently tried to play for sympathy for JJP on the basis that he is serving time with no possiblity of parole. Yeah, just like pretty much every other federal inmate. Interestingly, as Pollard’s criminal acts took place prior to November 1, 1987, he might still be eligible for parole after he has served sufficient time [which by now he certainly has] to become parole-eligible?
As to why JJP has failed to apply for parole, as a practical matter it’s clear that to do so would be a further admission of guilt, which he, his masters in the Mossad, and The Israel Lobbyists want at all costs to avoid
Michael,
The video link at the bottom of the first paragraph now seems to go only to Blitzer’s intro to the segment with Engel and di Genova. Here’s a link to a Youtube video of the entire feature:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBAIPSEbW9w
@Michael: “Pollard is the victim and so is Israel, because the U.S. was holding out on them on vital intelligence.”
That would be about right. Israel is so arrogant they probably believe that they are entitled to all US intel and that the US w/holding any intel constitutes an existential threat.
It’s amazing how much mileage they try to get out of that existential threat crap. It’s almost as ubiquitous as anti-Semite. Somebody get Abe Foxman on the line. Surely he has something to say about all this.