DATE=1/18/99
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-42390
TITLE=THE POLLARD CASE
BYLINE= ED WARNER
DATELINE= WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS ORDERED A FORMAL REVIEW OF THE CASE
OF JONATHAN POLLARD, THE FORMER U-S NAVAL INTELLIGENCE OFFICER 
WHO IN 1987 WAS SENTENCED TO LIFE IN PRISON FOR SELLING TOP 
SECRET INFORMATION TO ISRAEL.  HOWEVER, C-I-A DIRECTOR GEORGE 
TENET HAS THREATENED TO RESIGN IF POLLARD IS FREED, AND OTHER U-S
OFFICIALS, PAST AND PRESENT, ALSO HAVE STRONGLY OBJECTED.  WHILE,
SOME AMERICAN JEWISH GROUPS, AS WELL AS THE LIKUD PARTY IN 
ISRAEL, HAVE ASKED FOR CLEMENCY -- MANY HAVE NOT TAKEN A 
POSITION. VOA'S ED WARNER REPORTS ON THE CONTROVERSY.

TEXT:  SPIES ARE AS OLD AS THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC AND HAVE BEEN 
PARTICULARLY PLENTIFUL IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. EVEN SO, 
INTELLIGENCE ANALYSTS SAY THE JONATHAN POLLARD CASE IS SOMETHING 
SPECIAL. THEY BELIEVE THE AMERICAN SPY FOR ISRAEL STOLE MORE 
VITAL DOCUMENTS THAN ANY OTHER AGENT IN U-S HISTORY.

JOSEPH DIGENOVA IS A FORMER U-S ATTORNEY WHO PROSECUTED POLLARD: 

                       // DIGENOVA ACT //

         IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION THAT WAS 
         COMPROMISED AND THE LEVEL OF ITS SECURITY, THE POLLARD 
         CASE IS, IN FACT, THE WORST BECAUSE HE COMPROMISED 
         SOURCES AND METHODS INFORMATION OF AN ASTOUNDINGLY VAST 
         ARRAY IN INCREDIBLE QUANTITIES. IT IS UNMATCHED IN TERMS
         OF THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF INFORMATION COMPROMISED 
         IN AN ESPIONAGE CASE. 

                          // END ACT //

POLLARD MANAGED TO DO THIS, SAYS MR. DIGENOVA, EVEN THOUGH HIS 
BEHAVIOR SHOULD HAVE AROUSED SUSPICION. HE WAS KNOWN AS A HEAVY 
DRUG USER WHO SPENT LAVISHLY AND WAS DEEPLY IN DEBT.  HE BORROWED
FROM COLLEAGUES TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE BY SEYMOUR HERSH IN THE NEW YORKER 
MAGAZINE, POLLARD QUITE OPENLY CARRIED OFF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS. 
ON ONE OCCASION, HE PILED SO MUCH INTO A HANDCART THAT SECURITY 
GUARDS HAD TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR HIM. 

AMONG HIS ACQUISITIONS WAS THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY'S TEN 
VOLUME MANUAL ON U-S COMMUNICATIONS AND SIGNALS LINKS. "IT IS THE
BIBLE," AN INTELLIGENCE OFFICER TOLD MR. HERSH. "IT TELLS HOW WE 
COLLECT SIGNALS ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD."

INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS BELIEVE SOME OF THE MATERIAL GOT INTO 
SOVIET HANDS.  IN THEIR OPINION, EITHER THE ISRAELIS TRADED THE 
INFORMATION FOR JEWS TRYING TO LEAVE THE SOVIET UNION OR KGB 
SPIES IN ISRAEL OBTAINED IT. A CLOSE READING OF THE DOCUMENTS 
WOULD HAVE REVEALED U-S SOURCES IN THE SOVIET UNION AND MAY WELL 
HAVE COST THEM THEIR LIVES. 

JOSEPH DIGENOVA SAYS POLLARD DID NOT DO ALL THIS ALONE. HE HAD 
SUBSTANTIAL HELP WITHIN THE BUREAUCRACY: 

                       // DIGENOVA ACT //

         THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN BELIEVED BECAUSE MR. POLLARD WAS 
         GIVEN THE NUMBERS, THE HIGHLY CLASSIFIED INTELLIGENCE 
         NUMBERS OF SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS TO GET. AND NO ONE WOULD 
         HAVE KNOWN THOSE NUMBERS UNLESS THEY HAD INTITIAL ACCESS
         TO THEM. SO IT IS CLEAR THERE WAS ANOTHER PERSON IN THE 
         ESPIONAGE RING WHO WAS HELPING MR. POLLARD'S ISRAELI 
         HANDLERS. THAT WE ARE SURE OF. 

                          // END ACT //

MR. DIGENOVA SAYS CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS WERE UNDER SUSPICION, BUT 
NOTHING COULD BE PROVED. IT IS DIFFICULT TO REACH ANY DEFINITE 
CONCLUSIONS, SAYS MR DIGENOVA, SINCE ISRAEL HAS RETURNED VERY 
LITTLE OF THE STOLEN MATERIAL. 

SOME JEWISH GROUPS IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE CALLED FOR POLLARD'S
RELEASE ON THE GROUNDS HE WAS SPYING FOR A CLOSE ALLY AND HAS 
SUFFERED ENOUGH FOR WHAT COULD BE CONSIDERED A SELFLESS ACT. BUT 
OTHERS POINT OUT HE TOOK MONEY FOR SPYING AND OFFERED HIS 
SERVICES TO COUNTRIES BEYOND ISRAEL. 

BARRY JACOBS, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR THE OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT AND
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMITTEE, SAYS HIS 
ORGANIZATION HAS NOT TAKEN A POSITION ON THE CASE: 

                        // JACOBS ACT //

         I THINK THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COME 
         OUT PUBLICLY THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD EITHER GRANT THE 
         PARDON OR HAVE URGED THAT A PARDON BE CONSIDERED, BUT I 
         DO NOT THINK THAT IS THE POSITION OF MOST OF THE JEWISH 
         ORGANIZATIONS. 

                          // END ACT //

//OPT// MR. JACOBS SAYS JONATHAN POLLARD'S WIFE COMPLAINS THAT 
THE AMERICAN JEWISH COMMUNITY HAS NOT DONE ENOUGH FOR HER 
HUSBAND, WHO SHE THINKS SHOULD BE PARDONED AND ALLOWED TO MOVE TO
ISRAEL. //END OPT//

ACCORDING TO MR. JACOBS, THE MEDIA HAVE EXAGGERATED JEWISH 
SUPPORT FOR POLLARD. BUT OPINION IS BY NO MEANS UNIFORM:

                        // JACOBS ACT //

         WHEN THE POLLARD CASE CAME TO LIGHT, THERE WAS A GREAT 
         SENSE OF SHAME IN GENERAL AMONG THE AMERICAN JEWISH 
         COIMMUNITY, A GREAT SENSE OF ANGER, A GREAT SENSE OF 
         ALMOST BETRAYAL TIME HAS PASSED, AND THERE IS DEBATE 
         ABOUT THE PENALTY, BUT THERE ARE FEW PEOPLE ARGUING THIS
         MAN IS NOT GUILTY OF A VERY, VERY SERIOUS CRIME.  

                          // END ACT //

MR. JACOBS DOUBTS JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS HAVE PUT PRESSURE ON  
PRESIDENT CLINTON TO FREE JONATHAN POLLARD.  IN ANY EVENT,  A 
NUMBER OF TOP OFFICIALS, INCLUDING SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE 
ALBRIGHT AND DEFENSE SECRETARY WILLIAM COHEN, HAVE URGED THE 
PRESIDENT TO KEEP HIM IN PRISON. 

THAT IS ALSO THE POSITION OF THE PENTAGON, THE C-I-A AND THE 
F-B-I. "JUSTICE HAS BEEN DONE TO THIS POINT," SAID AN FBI 
SPOKESMAN. "TO RELEASE POLLARD NOW WOULD UNDO EVERYTHING THAT LAW
ENFORCEMENT AND PROSECUTORS WORKED TIRELESSLY TO ACCOMPLISH."  
(SIGNED) 

NEB/EW/WFR

18-Jan-99 3:59 PM EST (2059 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.