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DATE=10/23/98 TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT NUMBER=5-41677 TITLE=MIDEAST TALKS / POLLARD BYLINE=CHALLISS MCDONOUGH DATELINE=WASHINGTON CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: FRIDAY'S ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE TALKS NEAR WASHINGTON "HIT A SNAG" -- AT LEAST FOR A WHILE -- OVER AN ISRAELI REQUEST THAT THE UNITED STATES RELEASE CONVICTED SPY JONATHAN POLLARD. MR. POLLARD IS A FORMER U-S NAVAL INTELLIGENCE ANALYST WHO PLEADED GUILTY IN 1986 TO PASSING MILITARY SECRETS TO ISRAEL. V-O-A'S CHALLISS MCDONOUGH TELLS US MORE ABOUT THE MAN, WHO IS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN A PRISON IN (THE SOUTHEASTERN STATE OF) NORTH CAROLINA. TEXT: U-S AUTHORITIES ARRESTED JONATHAN POLLARD OUTSIDE THE ISRAELI EMBASSY IN 1985 AND CHARGED HIM WITH ESPIONAGE. THE AMERICAN JEW HAD BEEN A CIVILIAN INTELLIGENCE ANALYST FOR THE U-S NAVY FOR FIVE YEARS. IN A 1986 PLEA BARGAIN, HE ADMITTED TAKING 50-THOUSAND DOLLARDS FROM ISRAEL IN EXCHANGE FOR CLASSIFIED U-S INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACTIVITIES OF ARAB COUNTRIES AND TERRORIST GROUPS. JONATHAN POLLARD'S WIFE, ESTHER POLLARD, SAYS HER HUSBAND LEARNED THE UNITED STATES WAS WITHHOLDING INFORMATION FROM ISRAEL ABOUT NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL AND CHEMICAL WEAPONS PROGRAMS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. // ESTHER POLLARD ACT // AFTER HE HAD TRIED EVERY LEGAL MEANS IN HIS POWER TO RELEASE THE INFORMATION AND FOUND HIMSELF BLOCKED AT EVERY TURN OF THE WAY, THAT IS WHEN HE ACTED ON HIS FEAR. HE WAS TERRIFIED FOR ISRAEL AND TERRIFIED OF THE VAST NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE KILLED. AT THAT POINT, HE TURNED TO ISRAEL AND OFFERED TO GIVE THEM THE INFORMATION. HE BROKE THE LAW. HE'S SORRY HE BROKE THE LAW. HE WISHED HE DID NOT HAVE TO DO THAT. // END ACT // JOSEPH DIGENOVA IS THE FORMER FEDERAL ATTORNEY WHO PROSECUTED THE CASE AGAINST THE POLLARDS. HE SAYS JONATHAN POLLARD'S 18-MONTHS OF SPYING HAVE SO FAR COST THE UNITED STATES HUNDREDS OF M/I/L/L/I/O/N/S OF DOLLARS TO FIX. // DIGENOVA ACT // MR. POLLARD COMMITTED ONE OF THE MOST GRIEVOUS OFFENSES EVER COMMITTED AGAINST THE UNITED STATES IN THE NATIONAL SECURITY AREA ... PHYSICALLY, HE TURNED OVER TO THE ISRAELIS NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION -- BOTH TECHNICAL AND HUMAN -- OF A VAST VARIETY, WHICH FILLED A ROOM SIX FEET (TWO METERS) BY SIX FEET (TWO METERS) BY 10 FEET (THREE METERS). // END ACT // PRESIDENT CLINTON, LIKE HIS PREDECESSOR GEORGE BUSH, HAS PREVIOUSLY REJECTED CLEMENCY FOR POLLARD. AT THE TIME THAT THE LAST APPEAL WAS TURNED DOWN IN 1986, CLINTON ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS SAID POLLARD STILL POSED A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY. MR. DIGENOVA SAYS THE CONVICTED SPY SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED. // DIGENOVA ACT // FIRST OF ALL, HE IS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN. WE, AS A COUNTRY, DO NOT TRADE OUR CITIZENS TO ANY COUNTRY IF THEY COMMIT ESPIONAGE. WE LOCK THEM UP AFTER WE CONVICT THEM. WE HAVE FREQUENTLY EXCHANGED SPIES FROM OTHER COUNTRIES FOR OUR OWN SPIES, BUT WE HAVE NEVER SENT AN AMERICAN WHO SPIED AGAINST US TO ANOTHER COUNTRY. THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED, AND IT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN THIS CASE. // END ACT // JONATHAN POLLARD IS SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE FOR SPYING FOR A U-S ALLY -- A CRIME HIS WIFE, ESTHER, SAYS USUALLY CARRIES A PRISON SENTENCE OF TWO TO FOUR YEARS. MRS. POLLARD SAYS ISRAEL HAS REPEATEDLY ASKED FOR HER HUSBAND'S RELEASE. // ESTHER POLLARD ACT // AS A WIFE, MY HUSBAND IS SICK. HE IS WORN OUT. HE IS SERVING A GROSSLY DISPROPORTIANATE SENTENCE. HE WANTS TO GO HOME. HE HAS EXPRESSED HIS REMORSE ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. ISRAEL HAS GIVEN COMPLETE GUARANTEES TO BE FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HIM. NOW BETWEEN CLOSE FRIENDS AND STRONG ALLIES, THAT OUGHT TO BE ENOUGH. // END ACT // PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU IS THE FIRST ISRAELI LEADER TO ACKNOWLEDGE POLLARD WAS ACTING AS AN ISRAELI AGENT. MR. NETANYAHU GRANTED THE CONVICTED SPY ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP EARLIER THIS YEAR AND HAS REPEATEDLY PUSHED THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION TO RELEASE HIM. // OPT // JUDITH KNIPPER IS A MIDDLE EAST SPECIALIST AT THE CENTER FOR STRATEGIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN WASHINGTON. SHE SAYS POLLARD'S SPYING ACTIVITIES CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE AND HAD LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS FOR U-S NATIONAL SECURITY. SHE THINKS THE RAISING OF THE POLLARD ISSUE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS IS "QUITE SERIOUS." // KNIPPER ACT // I THINK FIRST THERE IS NEGOTIATING FOR PEACE AND IMPLEMENTING WHAT THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY COMMITTED ITSELF TO. AND THEN THERE IS THE BILATERAL ISSUE OF AN AMERICAN CITIZEN WHO WAS A PAID SPY FOR THE STATE OF ISRAEL. WE ARE VERY CLOSE ALLIES AND CLEARLY RELEASING HIM HAS SERIOUS IMPLICATIONS POLITICALLY AND STRATEGICALLY FOR THE UNITED STATES AS WELL AS FOR ISRAEL. // END ACT & END OPT // IN ORDER TO PAVE THE WAY FOR AN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PEACE AGREEMENT LATE FRIDAY, MR. CLINTON TOLD THE ISRAELIS HE WOULD REVIEW POLLARD'S CASE. BUT THE PRESIDENT SAID THAT HE AGREED TO SO -- WITHOUT MAKING ANY COMMITMENT AS TO THE OUTCOME OF THAT REVIEW. (SIGNED) NEB/CEM/RRM 23-Oct-98 5:22 PM EDT (2122 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .