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)
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Source: Voice of America
.