Article

2005-05-23 Israel-Palestine

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Fred 2005-05-23 00:00|| || Front Page|| [9 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Can't wait to see how the MSM treats this. If at all. Simple fact is that Sharon is taking enormous risks on behalf of peace, and that he is doing so only because Arafat is dead and Bush has signalled there will never again be any US support for terror-mongering fascist Paleo leaders like Arafat.

Prediction: NYT will bury on page A17. Rest of MSM will not pick it up.

Posted by thibaud (aka lex) 2005-05-23 02:10|| 2005-05-23 02:10|| Front Page Top

#2 I'm generally a pro-Israel guy but this Jonathan Pollard stuff gets me steamed. How dare they?! The guy was spying. I don't care if it's for a trusted ally - that's treason. They should be grateful that his life has been spared as a consideration to our Israeli friends. But calling for his pardon/freedom is pushing the limits. This was one pardon call that Clinton wisely didn't grant and Bush had better do the same in '09.

Posted by John in Tokyo 2005-05-23 03:58|| 2005-05-23 03:58|| Front Page Top

#3 I'm am very much a pro-Israel guy. This Jonathan Pollard stuff gets me steamed too.

As far as Pollard is concerned, he got paid which wrecks Pollard case that he did it idealism and he spied for more countries then just Israel. Not that that would make much difference as under the law it makes no difference whether you spy for one or more countries and whether you did spied for an ally or an enemy.

Overall I have no problem with all spies getting life or being executed. What I do have a problem when some get off in a few years and others get life!

But I don't think that he did get an unreasonable sentence compared to others, eg
Aldrich Ames: Life without parole.
Ronald Pelton: Three concurrent life sentences.
Arthur Walker: Three life terms. Fined $250,000.
John Walker: Life.
Jerry Whitworth: 365 years (eligible for parole after 60 years) Fined $410,000

Note Pollard did not receive as tough a sentence as the above as he has been eligible for parole since he hit his ten-year anniversarty. The others cannot be paroled. Since he is elligable for parole, he has a right to be heard now.

On a personal note, I could not care whether he is released or not.

Note if the Israeli catch a US spy in Israel, there will be hell to pay.

Posted by bernardz">bernardz 2005-05-23 05:33|| 2005-05-23 05:33|| Front Page Top

#4 On a personal note, I do care if he is released. Spying on our intelligence and defense structures on behalf of a foreign power for money is the worst type of treason possible and warrants the death penalty and forfeiture of all assets and property within the reach of our government. The man should never again see the light of day regardless of whether he's working for the Pope, Iceland, Sri Lanka, Belgium, or China! It is that simple. Why the hell should we, the taxpayers and citizens of the country he betrayed for money, pay to keep his carcass alive?

Posted by Tkat 2005-05-23 08:59|| 2005-05-23 08:59|| Front Page Top

#5 Amen Tkat,John....On a personal note, I do care....F*ck him, he can rot!

Posted by Mini Mullah 2005-05-23 11:32|| 2005-05-23 11:32|| Front Page Top

#6 As far as I am concerned, demanding the release of Pollard destoys American sympathy for Israel as quickly as Israelis selling F-16 tech to China, alledgedly including the real jewels, the avionics source code. He spyed, got caught, and will die in prison. Get over it and be thankful he wasn't slowly garroted, like he deserves.

BTW how is Israeli JSF participation going? What you've been frozen out? Pity.

Posted by ed 2005-05-23 12:04|| 2005-05-23 12:04|| Front Page Top

#7 I agree Ed. Pollard needs to be shot as do the rest. Non-negotiable. I have no sympathy for Pollard or those demanding his release. They can go f*ck themselves.

Posted by Slulet Glater4736 aka Jarhead 2005-05-23 13:30|| 2005-05-23 13:30|| Front Page Top

#8 it should be remembered, that during Oslo the US told Israel that Pal prisoners should be released since the conflict was now in the past, and their deeds were now irrelevant. At the time many Israelis wondered why this shouldnt apply to Pollard also, since his deeds involved trying to get information on arab countries, which were now "at peace" with Israel.

Sy Hersh did an article, based on anonymous sources at the CIA, saying that what Pollard got was not just related to the Mideast, but was Soviet related stuff that the Israelis traded to get Jewish scientists out of the USSR. This was the justification for not releasing him in the spirit of Oslo. You may believe Hersh or not as you wish.

Certainly most American Jews are reluctant to speak up for Pollard. The actions of a man like Pollard endanger the career prospects, and ultimately the security, of American Jews. Those who work in the national security area are obviously most directly effected. Israelis, obviously, dont have the same concerns.

Its hard to compare Pollards sentence to his deeds without a precise picture of his deeds, which obviously must remain secret. Some of the spies whove gotten the harshest sentences actually blew US spy networks, resulting the deaths of US agents. Im not sure thats true for all of them, though.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-05-23 13:34|| 2005-05-23 13:34|| Front Page Top

#9 Note - in no way is my post above a call for Pollards release. I am merely trying to put those who DO call for his release in perspective.

Posted by Liberalhawk 2005-05-23 13:36|| 2005-05-23 13:36|| Front Page Top

#10 You may believe Hersh or not as you wish.

No one with any trace of sanity would believe Hersh. He's the poster child for publishing lies by attributing them to anonymous sources.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2005-05-23 14:00|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2005-05-23 14:00|| Front Page Top

#11 I agree with #1-7 above. Pollard -- and the rest -- should fry.

Posted by someone 2005-05-23 14:55|| 2005-05-23 14:55|| Front Page Top

#12 There's a few things this ArabNews article left out.
Telegraph: Laura Bush heckled on Jerusalem visit
A small crowd of about two dozen people surrounded Mrs Bush as she entered the Dome of the Rock mosque in Jerusalem's walled Old City.

A Palestinian worshipper cried out at her: "You are not welcome here. Why are you hassling our Muslims? How dare you come in here?"

Mrs Bush, who later made an appeal for peace, did not respond then or an old woman inside the mosque shouted "Koran, Koran" at her in Arabic.

Posted by ed 2005-05-23 16:50|| 2005-05-23 16:50|| Front Page Top

#13 Corrina, Corrina?

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2005-05-23 18:17|| 2005-05-23 18:17|| Front Page Top

#14 I just want to go on record that as a Jew and a Navy Veteran, I would volunteer to shoot Jon Pollard.

When he was around Stanford way back, everyone in the community thought he was a loon.

He should shut up.

Posted by Penguin 2005-05-23 21:48|| 2005-05-23 21:48|| Front Page Top

23:50 BH
23:50 .com
23:26 someone
23:18 Phil Fraering
23:17 Atomic Conspiracy
22:50 .com
22:24 badanov
22:19 CrazyFool
22:15 Alaska Paul
22:14 badanov
22:12 mom
22:12 Jotch Slomotch9945
22:12 CrazyFool
22:06 trailing wife
22:01 someone
22:00 trailing wife
21:58 trailing wife
21:58 Anonymoose
21:54 trailing wife
21:51 Frank G
21:50 mom
21:49 trailing wife
21:48 Penguin
21:31 Pappy