More than 27 years after his arrest, the Jonathan Pollard saga continues to fascinate and infuriate Americans. As I wrote in a COMMENTARY article on the subject in March 2011, advocates of the convicted spy tend to exaggerate the assistance he gave Israel during the course of the espionage he carried out while serving as an intelligence analyst for the U.S. Navy. Similarly, those who continue to demand that he remain in prison until his death have also tended to inflate the damage he did to his country. While it is unlikely that anything could do much to move the argument one way or the other, the release of a 1987 damage report on the case conducted by the CIA should serve to silence those who have claimed Pollard’s spying was focused on American capabilities. The report, which can be read here (albeit with parts blacked out due to secrecy laws), makes it clear that his interest was solely in helping the Israelis find out more about Soviet and Arab military and intelligence capabilities.
That does not mitigate the scope of Pollard’s crime, as his handing over of a massive amount of material including signal intelligence to a foreign country did great damage to the United States. But the account of what he did and did not do does serve to bolster the arguments made by those seeking his release that his motive was a desire to help Israel rather than pure venality or treason.
Much of the report is familiar territory to those familiar with the case, as it details the narrative of his espionage as well as a lengthy psychological profile. The more one learns of Pollard’s background and unstable character the more one wonders about the faulty judgment of those who hired him to serve in such a sensitive capacity. But the important information here consists of the details about what sort of material he sought and then handed over to the Israelis.
His priority was to obtain the following information: Arab (and Pakistani) nuclear intelligence; Arab exotic weaponry, including chemical weapons; Soviet aircraft, air defenses, air-to-air missiles and air-to-surface missiles; and Arab order-of-battle, deployments and readiness.
Though arguments made by his friends that Israel was entitled to this information fall flat, this sort of material was clearly intended to bolster Israel’s ability to deal with valid threats to its security rather than to harm the U.S.
This is important because the prejudicial statements made by Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger to the court that sentenced Pollard to life in prison were thought to have given the impression that the spy’s crimes represented a direct threat to U.S. security. Indeed, the file makes clear something that was already understood: The willingness of the prosecutors and the judge to renege on the plea bargain by which Pollard had been persuaded to tell all about his activities had more to do with pique over the spy’s decision to speak about the case to reporter Wolf Blitzer (the CNN anchor was then a writer with the Jerusalem Post) in an inflammatory prison interview rather than the egregious nature of his crime.
While the report is explicit about the Israelis not requesting data about the U.S. or its intelligence resources or military, there were some other interesting tidbits that give us an idea about the dynamic between the spy and his handlers. Among them is the fact that Rafi Eitan, the head of the spy unit running the operation, wanted to know about Israelis providing the Americans with information as well as “dirt” about Israelis the Americans might have. Pollard refused this request with the support of Yosef Yagur, a consulate official who was part of the plot.
As I have written elsewhere, what Pollard did was bad enough. There is no need for anyone to misrepresent his spying as part of an Israeli effort to undermine the United States. None of this is likely to change the minds of those in the U.S. intelligence establishment who take the position that Pollard must die in jail so as to set an example for other potential spies. Nor will it dampen the desire of some who have used him to justify unreasonable suspicions or even attempts to single out and prosecute other American Jews. It remains a fact that while Pollard’s espionage was a unique chapter in American intelligence history, his sentence is still the most severe ever handed out to a spy for a friendly country.
After 27 years in jail, it can no longer be asserted that he represents a threat to American security or that he has not already been severely punished. Though his most damning legacy may be the way his name continues to be used to bolster false accusations of dual loyalty on the part of American Jews, it can no longer be credibly argued that his goal was to harm the United States. While the chances of clemency for Pollard seem no better today than at any other point during his incarceration (something that is as much due to the poor judgment of the spy and some of his advocates), the release of the CIA report does place the case in perspective.
Unlike the others arrested in what became known as the year of the spy, Pollard’s goal was not to assist America’s enemies. That ought to make it just a bit easier to justify the commutation of his disproportionate sentence should President Obama or a successor ever care to seriously review the case.
Hey moral equivalence about spying. We should let Johnny Walked Lindh go free too.
his motives don't count for all that much. he's where he should be.
No but his religion sure counts! nI guess it's difficult to be objective when you're xenophobic, a problem with many Americans. nMany things are indeed black and white but not all. But it seems difficult for many to treat any issue in anything more than a simplistic way. nAs for the ridiculous comment about motives; just disgraceful! nMotives are are very strong part of any case, criminal or civil and also for sentencing. nYou should get out more. Calcifications are winning!
sorry sonny, but it's INTENT that counts, not motive. n n nand Pollard was convicted for his crimes due to his religion about as much as Daniel Ellsburg was.
At this point the Pollard case takes on the appearance of a made for TV movie where the prosecutor is half insane and has broken and bent every law and custom there is to go after one defendant beyond all normal boundaries into the realm of a personal vendetta. Pollard could have murdered a Senator on the floor of the Senate and been out of jail by now. Hinckley and the surviving members of the Manson family will see less jail time than Pollard. If nothing else it makes the US government look as petty and psychotic as the time Woodrow Wilson had his Presidential opponent. Eugene Debs tossed in Federal prison for 10 years based on almost nothing. Pollard will die in jail, that's for sure. And we need to stop debating the point. But Israel needs to point to Pollard the next time and for forever, when the US demands they free mass murderers from prison of 10 life sentences because it helps the US administration appear more 'balanced'.
There were clear security threats outlined in the report that remain heavily redacted. You forgot to mention that.
one thing he did do was sign a lot agreements and take instruction that he wasn't supposed to do what he ended up doing–nobody set him up as a one man declassification board. n ntoo bad. Israel can do what it needs to do but Pollard was not an Israeli citizen when he violated his American oaths–he was an American asset of Lechem, not the same thing. He became an Israeli in 1995. Yes he got screwed over, first by Eitan, then America, but first of all by his own misjudgment.
thank you besht2003 nSince both Aviem Sella & Jonathan Pollard were broke. Aviem Sella an Israeli Air Force Colonel Knockout enterprised Jonathan Pollard post in Langley to make big money outta CIA XEROX FRAUDS. Selling sensitive information to higher bidders in worldwide market and tagging their loots to Mossad as client.
you know these missives from a faraway bottle come across like the inner wrapping of a bar of Dr. Bonners soap as written by a pledge to the Hitler-Jugend
thank you besht2003 nPeople bought Bronner soap not for vast amount of lather produced outta few drops but for the the vast amount of tiny text borrowed from Hebrews.
credit where it's due, besht. good comment.
There are two things I had heard about the case long ago, that may or may not be true that made me think his sentence was overly long. One is that he first approached the Israelis because he believed that they were entitled to information of the kind he was giving according to an agreement between Israel and this country, which agreement his superiors had decided unilaterally to abrogate. nThe second was that the judge overturned the plea bargain on the basis of a report from the FBI or CIA that Pollard's information had been leaked to the Russians and led to the death of American agents. I read that this report was actually written by one of the Russian spies (Hanson?) who was himself responsible for the Russians getting that damaging information. nThis new information seems consistent with this claim. nThe Secretary of Defense at the time accused Pollard of causing great damage in this way, perhaps based on that report, and the new information suggests that was nonsense.
thank you daniel123 n nCIA released thousands of Terrorists & Spies but kept the Menajahtwa Muthafukahuh Pollard in custody because of his dear Buttock. As long as Jonathan Pollard behind bar. Corrupt CIA agents, clients & clandestine safe elsewhere.
First of all…Welcome back Jonathan Tobin.
Okay..this is an honest and excellent review article of the Pollard controversy.
I was especially impressed with the following part:
…The more one learns of Pollard’s background and unstable character the more one wonders about the faulty judgment of those who hired him to serve in such a sensitive capacity…
This is precisely the point I made in my contributions to one particular hard core US Intelligence Agency and hangers on blog. I will not give it any publicity here. They are not really interested in this, probably because it casts The US Navy in particular and The US Armed Forces generally, in a profoundly negative light.
It is for this reason, I believe Pollard’s sentance should be commuted to time served.
Naval intelligence blew it and it is about time for them to pay the price.
I believe Pollard was the victim of institutional anti-semetism. Different individuals react differently to this sort of psychological torture. Pollard could not cope with it, obviously and sought to retaliate. He should have failed the psyche standards.
I know what he was up against. The Navy is no place for a Jew, first of all and certainly not one who cares about Israel. They test their Jews to determine whether they are “zionists” or not. After Liberty, being anti-Israel is a prerequisite for being accepted in The Navy.
According to you, "The Navy is no place for a Jew…" n nReally? Tell that to Admiral Hyman Rickover, or Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda, or Arnold Resnicoff, or Joshua L. Goldberg, or any of THOUSANDS of Jews who have served our country in our Navy. n nWhat a ridiculous comment for you to make.
Jonathan Pollard owed 100% of his allegiance to the United States of America. But like Bradley Manning, he violated his oath in the name of his conscience. I see no particular reason to cut either of them any slack. Their various motivations are secondary to the fact that they betrayed the trust placed in them by their country. And I find offensive the claim that Pollard's prosecution and sentence are tainted by anti-Semitism. To avoid his admittedly harsh fate, all that he had to do was honor his oath and follow the rules.
CIA released thousands of High Value Terrorists & Spies but kept the Menajahtwa Muthafukahuh Pollard in custody because of his dear Buttock. As long as Jonathan Pollard behind bar. Corrupt CIA agents, underworld Clients & Clandestine are safe elsewhere. Caspar Weinberger should hanged Jonathan Pollard from his Reeky Rectum 27 years ago for being too stooopid to be busted easily by Langley Fatboys. I would worthy the worthless if I ever credit Aviem Sella & Jonathan Pollard fu2721ckups to Mossad. Because Mossad ain’t a thing but KGB urban rejects. A hoax propagandized by Mediawhores to fool Palestinian traitors & Israeli grassroots. Oh! Jonathan you share many thing in common besides your Christian name with Pollard. Both of you swallowed Soviet & Arab Intelligence rhetoric Redherring. Simply because Soviet & Arab ain’t any Intelligence but pure Stooopidity. Since both Aviem Sella & Jonathan Pollard were broke. Aviem Sella an Israeli Air Force Colonel Knockout enterprised Jonathan Pollard post in Langley to make big money outta CIA XEROX FRAUDS. Selling sensitive information to higher bidders in worldwide market and tagging their loots to Mossad as client. Aviem Sella convinced Jonathan Pollard that CIA is another Israeli brothel as the Whitehouse, the Capitol Hill & the rest of DC Donut-hole and no one would dare to arrest him. Looks as if some pissed-up deceived buyers reported Aviem Sella & Jonathan Pollard fu2721ckups to CIA. For the past 27 years Shimon Peres was insulting his himself begging four US presidents to release Pollard. The published Rhetoric is a very Powerful Argument that attracts inflammatory commentaries. Urban Accuracy Requires Profanity to honestly deliver opinion Now hold your breath, Shut-up, Sit-down & Listen Jonathan S. Tobin is Senior Online Editor of Commentary magazine your discretion is advised nWHAT POLLARD DID AND DIDN’T DO
It seems to me, Mr. Tobin, thar you want to excuse what Jonathan Pollard did, violating every agreement he signed, taking matters into his own hands, because, as you aver, he was unstable. In this way you seem to blame the intelligence service(s) for hiring him. r nr nSurely civilized countries need their citizens, each and every one, to honor individual oaths.
The people who have locked J P do not care what the rest of the world has to say. But let us try to be perhaps a touch cynical and wonder what would happen to the IL Jews if the US decide to dump IL! It is not the Europeans, the South-Americans or the Muslims who would care!!!! Nor the American Jewish democrats!
watsa46 nUSA dumped Israel in December 2008 during first Gaza war. Israel smartest strategy Operation David Goliath by declaring a war on quarter of planet earth to get World sympathies failed. Its about to the grassroots to decide the destiny of Israel. Reading Ann Otto Frank Biography: " only evil Jews will survive in Auschwitz Dachau Birkenau" n
bs'd nI must admit, for a rare change, I am speechless. How such a well written article could have garnered so many comments from as far afield as possible I cannot imagine. Are these worthies all subscribers to Commentary?