Obama will pardon him just to further his own efforts to ruin the nation, after all it is what a Marxist would do.

I guess the thinking goes that Pollard “only” spied for allied nations- but if the US wants their friends to know something, they’ll tell them.

There can be no gray area with espionage like this- perhaps Pollard has conservative connections in this country tho, I had a college bud who knew Pollard in High School- and his family were major Republicans in CT

Why are you so concerned with the fact that some people want Pollard freed from prison?? What does it matter to you in any way, shape, or form? Trying to bolster your independent cred now that you are a radio host and need numbers?

Please focus your efforts on destroying msnbc and all of its psychotic anchors instead of picking inter-party fights that really dont mean that much

any TRAITOR no matter whom they spied for. It is silly on the face of it and Ms Rubin should say exactly who these supposed “Conservatives” are that want Pollard released because I am unaware of any within my sphere of people.

I think the fact that Pollard has pull within the Republican party may have said it all. The difference between Republicans generally and the conservative point of view is sometimes profound.
My memory is vague on the case details but I belive that Pollard was working for the buck rather for the interest of Israel and even if that was not the case dual alliegance is not possible. Execution is really deseved.

I think the fact that Pollard has pull within the Republican party may have said it all. The difference between Republicans generally and the conservative point of view is sometimes profound.
My memory is vague on the case details but I belive that Pollard was working for the buck rather for the interest of Israel and even if that was not the case dual alliegance is not possible. Execution is really deseved.

The guys spied for Israel and the Dems aren’t screaming for the death penalty? Strange!

I really do not understand our squishy attitudes towards traitors. Towards children who commit crimes, sure. But adults who work against our own country to harm our own people? Sorry, there aren’t any second chances. There cannot be.

While I am a stickler about treason, after doing some more reading about Mr. Pollard, the punishment does seem not to fit the crime. He was given a life sentence for a crime that usually gets two to four years. I don’t know if that were accurately reported, but clearly that is not justice if it is true.

It is perplexing, sort of like a right wing version of the free Mumia Jamal movement.

Of course he does!!! And people in Hell want ice water, so what? If he isn’t bright enough to get a turban and change his name to Mahmoud Abdul whatever, he’s not even close to the pals-of-baracko gravy train. Remember the New Yorker cover with baracko abdul and michelle shabazz doing the fist bump, while the Constitution burns in the fireplace? True enough.

Speaking of Arizona, condolences to families of the nameless dead and injured —- but why is some congressperson ‘more important’ than the rancher who was murdered by mexican invaders? or our fallen border patrol agents? It appears Tucson is as close to the border as baracko will get.

Pollard gave Israel information that was supposed to be shared with them, that the US illegally withheld. This information led to Israel’s bombing of the Iraqi nuclear reactor, for which they were later begrudgingly thanked ( after of course first being loudly condemned) and which was a benefit to everyone in the world. The US also broke a plea bargain which was made. He was never even charged with treason. His sentence was much greater than other spies , including spies who caused deaths to Americans, unlike Pollard. He didn’t do it for money. He did it to help OUR ALLY, Israel.

But one of the main things that he stole was the SIOP — Single Integrated Operational Plan. The SIOP is our complete battle strategy, target packages, and options for escalation/restraint in a nuclear war.

It probably isnt an understatement to say that the SIOP is perhaps the single most important secret our government has, particularly more so at the time when he was doing his spying. While he may have been working for Israel, they would have likely not had much use directly for the information in the plan themselves — I dont think Tel Aviv was on our targeting list.

However, there was at least one customer who would do anything for this information, the USSR. So what Pollard gave the Israelis on the SIOP could then be sold or traded by them to the Soviets to secure something for Israel’s advantage or grant them leverage on issues of emigration of persecuted Soviet Jews to Israel which was a huge issue at the time.

I do remember reading that around the time Pollard stole this info, Soviet attack subs started showing up at patrol points unexpectedly and frequently right where our otherwise undetectable SSBN’s were at. Between knowledge of SSBN routes and the SIOP in general, it is not an exaggeration to say that had the Soviet leadership decided to, there would have been a good chance they could have pulled off a decapitation strke of the US, destroyed our retaliatory deterrent, and if he had waited to launch on impact rather than launch on warning, come off relatively unscathed.

So, for his betrayal of these vital nuclear secrets, I would say that Pollard is one of the worst spies in American history — perhaps even the worst, since the Rosenbergs provided info to the Soviets that allowed them to get the bombs earlier, but the Sovs would have eventually figured it out. Pollard gave the enemy the key, through the intermediary of a self-interested friend, to completely and utterly destroy our country.

There should be no clemency or pardon or parole for him at all. He should have been shot.

(and lest anyone get the wrong impression, I do consider Israel to be a strong friend and ally of the US. But like any other nation, they are going to do what is in their nation’s best interest first. If that includes passing/trading info they got from Pollard on to the Soviets, in order to get persecuted people released, or terrorists off their back, they are going to do it. That’s what most all nations do — so the blame here needs to be squarely put on the scum Pollard)

…is in prison, but does not belong there. He should have been executed for his treason, and keeping him alive, year after year, at the expense of the very people that he betrayed for money, is offensive.

Should the current POTUS pardon his sorry ass, it will just reinforce the belief that he does not care about the American people, and is in fact, doing what he can to destroy us from within.

Great book, if you’re posting in this thread then you need to read it.

Pollard was the wost kind of spy, akin to Hansen and Conrad. He sought out to spy on his nation and betray the secrets that cost lives. Pollard did not just spy for Israel he sought them out even after they rejected him because they thought he was a false-flag set up.

But he continued to pass off intelligence and the Israeli’s continued to accept it. He should of been executed after his exploitation and co-conspirators were found out but we no longer execute traitors.

to do what is right. We can’t for some reason treat traitors as traitors. Jane Fonda should have been arrested and tried for treason and then executed accordingly. Pollard should have had the same fate as a treasonous traitor. The penalty for Treason in this country has been death but for some reason we have forgotten that. To continue to call Pollard a Republican Conservative is insulting to all of us that are true Constitution loving conservatives.

Erick Erickson wrote: “Jonathan Pollard was a spy for hire who was hired by Israel, South Africa, and potentially other countries….”

Ron Olive alleged that Pollard gave classified material to South Africa. Is there independent confimation of this allegation, other than from Ron Olive?

Erick Erickson wrote: “Jonathan Pollard was a spy for hire who was hired by Israel, South Africa, and potentially other countries….”

Ron Olive alleged that Pollard gave classified material to South Africa. Is there independent confimation of this allegation, other than from Ron Olive?

Please Mr. Erickson, I am addressing you directly above.

We had an intelligence sharing understanding with Israel. The anti-semites, who had infiltrated the Reagan administration, led by Baker and Weinberger frustrated the intent of that understanding. Pollard wrongly took matters into his own hands and even more wrongly took money in exchange. For that he deserved some punishment but not the excessive sentence he received.

Should Israel, our best source of intelligence ever, have risked its own security by turning down intelligence on its enemies? Would our government turn down sketchy information from anywhere if national security was at stake?

I hope it doesn’t cost me my membership on Redstate, but the flip suggestions that Pollard be executed are disgusting. All the more so by people I respected.

I guess the conservative movement isn’t concerned about consolidating its recent gains in the Jewish community. I hope 2012 is a landslide, but if FL and the upper midwest are close, look for Obama to find it in his heart to commute Pollard’s sentence over the objections of “right wing extremists”.

Erick, you don’t HAVE to comment on every topic in the world. Sometimes a discreet silence is more helpful.

Please, Mr. Erickson, answer my questions.

Please, Mr. Erickson, answer my questions.

Anti-Zionism, I believe, is the new anti-Semitism. If you hold that Israel either has no right to exist or hasn’t the right to defend herself in the face of Islamic terror, why would it be wrong to conclude you are motivated by anti-Semitic or anti-Jewish feelings?

…and may indeed have fallen into hands beyond the Israelis.

Written about extensively in 1999…

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/fr/576453/posts

Antipathy for Obama’s radical policies is not racism.

be released under any circumstances. He is a convicted espionage traitor to this country. I was associated with (Knew) a military person who was set up by the OSI in a sting operation. The agents planted bogus or fake classified documents that he had access to. He took the bait and was charged, comvicted and was busted in rank all the way, lost his military retirement, and sentenced to 20 years of hard labor in levenworth. So if this treasonous Pollard is released, would it not be reasonable to pardon all of those who was convicted in the past and restore any benefits they earned prior to coviction. While I’m at it, would the convicted spys, the Walkers family, also be released from prison and pardoned, or is that just reserved for those who spy for israel. As for Israel, who are considered our friends, why would they a hire a traitorous thug like Pollard to spy on their friends. Friends???

Peres also cooperated in the “arms to Iran in exchange for hostages” fiasco during the Reagan years. That was also profoundly immoral. I do not trust Peres to this day. Peres is largely responsible for the Oslo accords which resulted in thousand of dead and maimed. Leaders of nations do wrong. No nation is perfect, including the United States. Because a nation does wrong or engages in wrong behavior, does not make that nation an enemy as you seem to believe. Some might argue, America’s pursuit of a Muslim (no question, terror) state in Israel’s strategic hearland not at all freindly, given the fact that the Muslim-Arab world seeks Israel’s destruction. This person who was set up by the OSI in a sting operation, to what nation was he prepared to provide sensetive information? From what I have read, it is indeed relevant. If you and others believe Israel is an enemy state, I can understand why you think he should either be hung or rot in prison.

Peres also cooperated in the “arms to Iran in exchange for hostages” fiasco during the Reagan years. That was also profoundly immoral. I do not trust Peres to this day. Peres is largely responsible for the Oslo accords which resulted in thousand of dead and maimed. Leaders of nations do wrong. No nation is perfect, including the United States. Because a nation does wrong or engages in wrong behavior, does not make that nation an enemy as you seem to believe. Some might argue, America’s pursuit of a Muslim (no question, terror) state in Israel’s strategic hearland not at all freindly, given the fact that the Muslim-Arab world seeks Israel’s destruction. This person who was set up by the OSI in a sting operation, to what nation was he prepared to provide sensetive information? From what I have read, it is indeed relevant. If you and others believe Israel is an enemy state, I can understand why you think he should either be hung or rot in prison.

A Jew living in America is most likely, a Jew first, and, then, maybe, an American.
How many (painful) times do we need to learn this lesson?

Erick,

I am very encouraged to see you take a stand for a foreign policy that puts America first. It has been a good century since our federal government has had such a policy. The present-day Republican party as a whole has eschewed such a belief, and those within the party who still hold it are marginalized. If you decide to stick with this philosophy, expect opposition from the party.

I was surprised to see you take this stand, especially since, as you say, ” there are people who believe our alliance with Israel outweighs every other consideration.” One of those people is Marlin Stutzman, whom you endorsed for the Indiana senate over America-firster, John Hostettler. Stutzman’s campaign in that primary even sent out a last minute email smearing Hostettler for putting America’s interests before Israels. Another outspoken unabashed Israel-firster is Mike Pence, whom you recently endorsed for president. Pence has explicitly stated that the U.S. should adopt whatever policies the government of Israel tells us to.

I don’t care how friendly the recipient of your treachery is, treason is treason.

And while I’m firmly pro-Israel, Pollard’s release is a bridge too far.

Erickson –

You are incorrect.

>>
Jonathan Pollard was a spy for hire who was hired by Israel, South Africa, and potentially other countries. He ratted out our intelligence and potentially cost people their lives because of it.
<>
There are few conservatives within the actual conservative movement who are paying attention, but the bulk of those who are do not want Pollard released. They want him hanged or shot as a traitor to his country.
<<

Non-sense. Every conservative I know that knows the case wants the guy out. Where is your polling data?

The debate is moot now. He should be released as he served more than all other cold war era spies who were worse and whose actions resulted in deaths.

Erickson – Are we now down to CNN/Democrats levels where we can level such baseless accusations?

The guy wasn’t recruited, he volunteered to give info to Israel about Arab army movements. No US lives were lost. Erickson caught some left wing delusional virus in CNN news rooms.

I must admit I am feeling a bit ignorant because I have no idea who this guy is. I consider myself to be fairly well-informed. Could someone help me with the details?

When did this guy get thrown in jail? What years did he spy? Could someone provide some background please?

Carefully consider your answer.

Among the information passed by Pollard to the Israelis was the SIOP — America’s nuclear war fighting plan.

This was during one of the most tense periods of the Cold War. It was not foreordained the USSR would go down peaceably as it ultimately did. If the Israelis passed, traded or sold this information to the USSR or any Soviet aligned or friendly country, the consequences could literally have been the termination of our nation, and hundreds of millions dead.

Irrespective of any other consideration, knowing this one fact, how could anyone advocate anything other than immediate death to Pollard? No American ever, from Benedict Arnold to Julius Rosenberg to the Walker Ring has ever put information of this level of danger out to anyone outside of our country.

I just do not see how any of you could argue for any mercy for him at all, and consider yourself an American patriot or profess any love for your country.

Pollard made available to at least one foreign government the information necessary to destroy us all.

Here is a quote from the article on the web. I was involved in the late 1990s -2001 at the House Committee on Government Overisght. There was a major effort underway to get Clinton to pardon Pollard. I was tasked along with other staff to do some research on the facts of the matter for background, as there was some thought that we may have to do public hearings/oversight on some of the more outrageous Clinton pardons, such as Marc Rich. Clinton never did grant a pardon to Pollard despite the lobbying and PR effort to get him to do so. Clearly, there was a reason for that, and it had to due with the heinous nature of his crimes.

Advocates for Pollard like to point out how his sentence was so incredibly harsh, compared to what they thought he should get for ‘passing secrets among friends’. He did much more than that. Why do you think he got such a stiff sentence in the first place? And has every President who has been asked to pardon him since refused to do so because they were all anti-Semites or anti-Zionists? Of course not. It is because of the unforgivable nature of his crimes.

“High-level suspicions about Israeli-Soviet collusion were expressed as early as December, 1985, a month after Pollard’s arrest, when William J. Casey, the late C.I.A. director, who was known for his close ties to the Israeli leadership, stunned one of his station chiefs by suddenly complaining about the Israelis breaking the “ground rules.” The issue arose when Casey urged increased monitoring of the Israelis during an otherwise routine visit, I was told by the station chief, who is now retired. “He asked if I knew anything about the Pollard case,” the station chief recalled, and he said that Casey had added, “For your information, the Israelis used Pollard to obtain our attack plan against the U.S.S.R. all of it. The coordinates, the firing locations, the sequences. And for guess who? The Soviets.” (boldface mine – Ronin)Casey had then explained that the Israelis had traded the Pollard data for Soviet emigres. “How’s that for cheating?” he had asked.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/576453/posts

Hersh certainly has his enemies. He also has a Pulitzer Prize for reporting. His story was published by a reputable, if obnoxiously liberal for my tastes, magazine, the New Yorker. I would imagine if the article were demonstrably untrue, the editors or lawyers of the New Yorker would have prevented its publication, or had to publish corrections if warranted. I am not aware of either of these things happening.

I don’t know Hersh personally and cant speak to whether what you say of him is true or not. I know he has written some things over the years that made my blood boil, and made the U.S. and some of the U.S. leaders I have strongly supported look very bad. Such is what you get when a journalist decides to write — you may like the outcome, you may not.

I do know my personal experiences and work I did on this issue years ago. It is not published, by I remember very well what kind of scum Pollard is, and what he did. As I said, there is a reason he is behind bars for life. I would prefer if he were dead, but that is not my call.

I am sorry but we simply disagree on this, and respectfully, no amount of argument is goiong to change my mind. It is clear that you feel passionately otherwise, and I respect your right to hold your opinions, though I am saddened that you would waste what seems to be your considerable knowledge and abilities advocating on behalf of such an individual.

I think what Pollard did was very wrong. Because American Jews support Israel, in and of itself, that does not make Jews disloyal American citizens. Pollard was indeed a disloyal American citizen and he is a Jew. That is why what he did is so bad. I’m not sure how much damage he did to American security but I know he hurt every American Jew because of his treason. That having been said, I’ve been reading for years, people saying he got a disproportionate sentence. I’ve not really entered the fray. Though I consider Prime Minister Netanyahu a weak leader, I believe he has been a staunch supporter and defender of America. Netanyahu is a strong believer in the goodness and the greatness of the American people. I do not believe he would ask the president of the United States to commute Pollard’s sentence if he believed Pollard is a scum. Maybe I am wrong.

If he was convicted as a spy against his own country, then I say HANG HIM HIGH.

“At the time of Pollard’s sentencing there was a rule that mandated parole at thirty years for prisoners like him if they had maintained a clean record in prison. That parole date would be November 21, 2015. Also, Pollard was eligible to apply for parole after eight years and six months, though he has never done so.[35]”

Is this correct? So are we talking about 4 years?

Jonothan Pollard did irreparable damage to American national security but even more damage to Israel’s national security. Running an American government employee as an agent to obtain US secrets was a terrible betrayal of our relationship and our support. As a direct result of the Pollard operation the critical US-Israeli intelligence relationship was strained and friendships and longstanding professional cooperation, vital to Israel’s security was chilled.

I know of no one angrier about Pollard than senior Jewish American intelligence officers who strongly reject the argument, often propounded by short sighted and tone deaf Pollard and Israel supporters, that what Pollard did was justified and appropriate because he did so in support of Israel. Treason is never appropriate and those who call for Pollard’s release compound the harm already done by him to the critical US -Israeli security relationship – a relationship that is too important to squander with calls for the release of a traitor who harmed Israel and America for a pay check. And if Israeli intelligence were truly very good they would know this.