Notre Dame researcher holds out hope for son convicted of espionage

"THE documents that Pollard turned over to Israel were not focussed exclusively on the product of American intelligence -- its analytical reports and estimates. They also revealed how America was able to learn what it did -- a most sensitive area of intelligence defined as "sources and methods." Pollard gave the Israelis vast amounts of data dealing with specific American intelligence systems and how they worked. For example, he betrayed details of an exotic capability that American satellites have of taking off-axis photographs from high in space. While orbiting the earth in one direction, the satellites could photograph areas that were seemingly far out of range. Israeli nuclear-missile sites and the like, which would normally be shielded from American satellites, would thus be left exposed, and could be photographed. "We monitor the Israelis," one intelligence expert told me, "and there's no doubt the Israelis want to prevent us from being able to surveil their country." The data passed along by Pollard included detailed information on the various platforms -- in the air, on land, and at sea -- used by military components of the National Security Agency to intercept Israeli military, commercial, and diplomatic communications. "  (Read more here)


Maybe I'm old fashioned - but I thought passing defense secrets to a foreign country was serious enough to deserve the death penalty.  After all - traitorous spies stab us all in the back since they undermine our national security in ways that no one else can.  


I have good news for spies intent on the betrayal of the United States - our own elected officials may be your best friends if you get caught!  The following snippet is from the article this blog post borrows it's title from: 

"Titled "Why is Jonathan Pollard in Prison?" the letter presents a case for clemency for the 56-year-old junior Pollard, a South Bend native sentenced to life in prison in 1987 for passing defense secrets to Israel as a civilian intelligence analyst for the Navy.


According to the elder Pollard, a cancer researcher and director of the Lobund Laboratory at the University of Notre Dame, Weinberger's sealed testimony regarding the extent to which Jonathan damaged the United States contributed to the harsh sentence Judge Aubrey Robinson Jr. imposed in the case.

Sen. Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, later viewed the testimony under the condition he not disclose its contents, the elder Pollard says. He concluded the document contained no evidence to justify Jonathan's life sentence."  (Read more here)

Hmmmm....  How unbiased is Senator Chuck "gun-grabber" Shumer when it comes to putting America first when he offers his analysis of a case involving the release of a spy for Israel?  Take a look at the video below and listen for yourself what is important to Chuck Shumer:

"It's one of the most important things I do - to watch - be the guardian of Israel."



I believe Senator Shumer.  


There are others petitioning for the release of Jonathan Pollard:

"On Thursday, Democratic lawmakers, joined by Jewish communal leaders, held a Capitol Hill press conference presenting a letter to President Obama that called for Pollard’s release. The letter, signed by 39 House Democrats, argued that Pollard had received a disproportionate punishment for his actions and that after 25 years in prison, it is time to set him free.

“It is indisputable in our view that the nearly twenty-five years that Mr. Pollard has served stands as a sufficient time from the standpoint of either punishment or deterrence,” the lawmakers stated. The letter stressed, however, that presidential clemency would not be interpreted as clearing Pollard from guilt.

But the letter was signed only by Democrats.

Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, who was among the authors of the letter, said in Thursday’s press conference that he had tried to get Republican members to sign on, but to no avail. According to a JTA report, Jewish officials confirmed that Frank attempted to reach out to Republicans on this issue. Pollard was convicted during the Reagan administration, and since then Israeli leaders have appealed to both Democratic and Republican presidents in requesting his release from prison. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu almost succeeded in convincing President Clinton to pardon Pollard as part of the 1998 Israeli-Palestinian Wye River memorandum. But last minute opposition from then-CIA Director George Tenet derailed the deal."  (Read more here)

Vote these traitors out of office.