Subject: WYE, JONATHAN POLLARD, & the CIA

By Helen Freedman

 November, 1998

The Jonathan Pollard case resurfaced with a vengeance at the Wye meetings in Maryland at the end of October. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after caving in to agreements on extradition of criminals, and the release of hundreds of prisoners - but not those with "blood on their hands," asked President Clinton for the release of Jonathan Pollard. There was a verbal agreement that Pollard could fly to Israel with Netanyahu. We're told that the CIA went into a frenzy, running to Capitol Hill to provide false information about Pollard to Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, ranking Foreign Relations Committee Member Joseph Biden, and Select Intelligence Chair Richard Shelby. Told that Pollard was a traitor of the worst kind, the legislators demanded that President Clinton take the subject off the negotiating table and keep Pollard locked up indefinitely. The President backed down on his promise and Pollard remains in prison.

For the sake of clarity, I will review the true facts in the case. As a former civilian employee of the Navy's intelligence service, Pollard was caught, and refused entry into the Israeli embassy when he sought refuge there. Until recently, Israeli governments disavowed Pollard and called his espionage on their behalf a "rogue operation." The Netanyahu government has acknowledged that he was an Israeli agent, and has granted him Israeli citizenship. There's a lot of mystery about why the plea agreement into which Pollard entered with the government, where he agreed to plead guilty and give up his right to a trial, backfired. The U.S. had promised leniency in sentencing. The average sentence for one count of passing classified information to an ally, the only charge in Jonathan's indictment, is 2 to 4 years. Pollard was never charged with treason, which is applicable only with reference to spying for an enemy state. In addition, there was no evidence of any such action. With the introduction of a letter from then Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, the expected short term became a life sentence, without parole. Jonathan Pollard is the only person in the history of the U.S. sentenced to life for spying for an ally. He has served much of his almost 14 years in solitary confinement.

What's the truth here? What embarrassing secrets is the CIA hiding? And why has Jonathan Pollard been made the scapegoat for America's disastrous policy with Saddam Hussein? Why is Weinberger's letter classified information? Esther Pollard is bitter over the fact that Clinton reneged on his promise to free her husband. She said, "The release is being blocked by elements within the U.S. defense and intelligence (CIA) establishments. The same forces will undermine the peace accord." As reported by Greg MacDonald in the Toronto Sun, Oct. 24,1998, Esther Pollard went on to say that "Pollard gave information to Israel about America's covert policy of arming Iraq with chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons intended for use against Israel." Pollard is to be thanked for allowing the Israelis to prepare themselves with gas masks for the Gulf War. Israel's 'wonderful friend and ally', the U.S., permitted scuds to fall on Tel-Aviv, knowing that they might contain poison gas. Following the Gulf War, the U.S. Military admitted that they gave a low priority to the seek and destroy mission to intercept the scuds aimed at Israel, while at the same time 'demanding' that Israel not retaliate. It appears that the traitorous conduct here is solely on the part of the U.S. towards Israel.

According to the JINSA Report of 10/27/98, the CIA's job is to gather and assess intelligence information. That is all!! "They are supposed to pass information along to the political authorities who make political policy for the U.S. But the CIA doesn't even do that limited job all that well. This is the same CIA, after all, that reported on the might and strength of the former USSR while it was actually crumbling...that was surprised by the Indian nuclear explosion in May,1998 ...and said of the Korean missile shot over the Japanese mainland in August, "We didn't know they could do a third stage!"...that supported the Shah of Iran before the 1979 Islamic fundamentalist revolution, and that has a long history of supporting nefarious foreign governments.

After the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA helped train the mujahedeen, whose leader was Osama bin Laden, responsible for attacks against U.S. soldiers in Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, and the mastermind behind the bombings of the two US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya last August. The training camps in Khost, Afghanistan, which were attacked last August by the U.S. to retaliate for the embassy bombings, were built with American assistance. The Afghan rebels received about $3 billion from the CIA. Ali A. Mohamed, an Egyptian working for the CIA, but actually one of Bin Laden's men, had been admitted to the U.S. under a special visa program controlled by the CIA. This was the same man who was linked to El Sayyid A. Nosair, convicted of killing Rabbi Meir Kahane in 1990, and taking part in the broader plot to blow up the World Trade Center and other New York landmarks. After examining the record, one must conclude that the CIA is actually responsible for strengthening the world-wide network of global terrorism.

Now this intelligence gathering organization has been given the task, according to the Wye agreement, of monitoring Arafat's compliance with the security agreements which are vital to Israel's life. Morris Amitay, VP of JINSA noted, "It is fair to assume the CIA will get the same kind of political guidance this Administration gave the UNSCOM inspectors in Iraq, to wit, avoid finding violations in order to avoid having to do something about them." We know Amitay is right, because the CIA has been working with the PLO for the past three years, teaching them espionage techniques, and permitting rampant abuses in security measures such as safe haven for murderers and revolving door arrests.

Let's look at the text of the Wye agreement itself. How much is Israel to rely on the U.S. and the CIA to ensure the safety of its citizens? "A work plan developed by the Palestinian side will be shared with the U.S...."- no mention of Israel...A U.S. Palestinian Committee will meet biweekly to review the steps being taken...in those meetings the PA side will inform the U.S. - not Israel. A U.S. Palestinian Committee will meet to review and evaluate information pertinent to the decisions on prosecution and punishment of all persons involved in acts of violence and terror.....no mention of Israel...The U.S. has agreed to assist in carrying out the PA program for the collection and appropriate handling of illegal weapons and their confiscation...no mention of Israel. At last- a U.S.- PA -Israeli committee will cooperate in preventing the smuggling ...of explosive materials; a U.S.-PA-Israeli committee will monitor cases of incitement to violence and will each appoint a media specialist. So Israel is included occassionally - but the U.S. presence is always there with the PA . Israel has surrendered its sovereignty to the U.S. and entrusted its safekeeping to "honest" Bill Clinton and "reformed" terrorist and murderer, Yasir Arafat.

Thankfully, the AP reports (Oct. 25) that the Senate Intelligence Committee, chaired by Senator Richard Shelby, will hold hearings on the CIA's security- monitoring role in Israel. Shelby is concerned that the CIA is overstepping its role if it is to become a bodyguard, enforcer of policy, and arbitrator between the Arabs and Israelis. Dennis Ross, U.S. special envoy to the Mideast, justified the role given the CIA. He said, "It is an effort on our part to work with both sides in the counterterror area." He then admitted that "the CIA had helped track terrorism in the region since at least 1996." That is a tragic admission. There have been 300 deaths in Israel at the hands of terrorists, and 5,000 wounded since Oslo was signed in 1993. The terrorists have been identified - but permitted to roam free - and the worst of them have been placed in high positions in the PA "police" force. The CIA has done nothing to prevent this reign of terror nor has it overseen the arrest and trial and punishment of the killers. Why will they behave differently now?

George Tenet, the head of the CIA, maintains that there will be no new role for the CIA. He eupehmistically refers to the efforts to " improve the professionalism of security forces on the West Bank and Gaza." That means that espionage tactics have been taught to the Arabs in a covert operation. This is hardly what one would expect from an ally and friend. These efforts will undoubtedly continue. Tenet denies that the CIA will interfere between Israel and the Arabs. "We are not placing officers inside the security operations of either side. We will not arrest or interrogate people or assume any other direct role on the ground. CIA officers will not serve as border guards or body guards." Newt Gingrich said, "It is impossible for the CIA, as it is currently set up, to supervise the security plan mandated in the agreement." He continued, "Congress will send a delegation to Israel to assist in implementing the plan, which stipulates that the CIA oversee the arrest of Palestinian terrorist suspects and the confiscation of weapons in areas under PA control." Apparently there is much deception and confusion about what the CIA role will really be. It seems that the U.S. took on responsibilities to oversee the agreement without checking with the very people who would implement this supervision. No surprise there. The ongoing policy of promise everything and deliver nothing is still very much in effect.

It's curious that the very men, Shelby and Gingrich, who denounced the freeing of Jonathan Pollard, are now sounding the alarm about the CIA role The CIA lied to them about Pollard, and were woefully wrong in reporting to the senators in 1982 that U.S. intelligence did not believe that Iraq was a major sponsor of terrorism. It is clear that the agency cannot be trusted to safeguard Israel's security at the hands of Arafat and his suicide bombing fellow terrorists Therefore we must ask why Netanyahu, knowing all the facts, would agree to such a subservient and dangerous position, trusting his nation and himself to promises from Clinton and Arafat. The questions keep accumulating. Perhaps some day the web of deceit will be penetrated. Let's pray that it will not be too late. For those wishing to get additional information on Pollard, or contact Senator Shelby or Congressman Gingrich, the following will be useful:

Justice for Jonathan Pollard -

Tel:416-781-3571; Fax: 416-781-3166;

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:

Senate Select Committee on Intelligence:

Tel:202-224-1700; Fax: 202-224-1772

Senator Richard C. Shelby,

Chair, Select Intelligence: Tel:202-224-5744;

Speaker of the House

??....??:

Helen Freedman

National Chair of Root & Branch Association's Jerusalem

Embassy 3000

Initiative; Fax: 212-315-9664;