Israel spy Jonathan Pollard 'to be freed' by US

[kentonio]

Israel spy Jonathan Pollard 'to be freed' by US

An American jailed for 30 years for spying for Israel is to be freed in November after the US granted his parole, according to his lawyers.

Jonathan Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence analyst, was jailed for life in 1987 after being found guilty of passing documents to Israel.

US Secretary of State John Kerry denied the move was a bid to appease Israel amid tensions over Iran's nuclear deal.

The case has been a source of friction between the US and Israel for decades.

Rumours of his release have been circulating for several days, with some analysts suggesting it was tied to the nuclear agreement with Iran.

But in a statement, Pollard's lawyers said the parole board made their decision "independently of any other US government agency".

"The decision is not connected to recent developments in the Middle East," they added.

"I haven't even had a conversation about it," Mr Kerry told reporters as he left a House of Representatives committee hearing on the Iranian nuclear deal.

Pollard, 60, began work as a civilian analyst in US navy intelligence near Washington DC in 1979 and began offering classified materials shortly afterwards.

Navy officials and the FBI interviewed him in 1985 after he was found to have removed classified documents from his office.

Under the threat of an espionage prosecution, he and his wife, Anne, sought asylum at the Israeli embassy but were turned away.

They were arrested soon after by the FBI.

His lawyers said Pollard will be required to remain in the US for five years under the terms of the parole.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33696718

Nice of Israel to sell him down the river. Apparently his wife was taken to Israel by Netanyahu because her and her dad were living in abject poverty after her release, but now she's living in poverty in Israel instead buried under medical bills. Nice to know service to your country is so appreciated..

[DinoDoc]

"The decision is not connected to recent developments in the Middle East," they added.

Bull****, it isn't.

[kentonio]

Bull****, it isn't.

I thought the same until I noticed the dates. It's been 28 years of a 30 year sentence, parole makes sense.

[Proteus_MST]

Well, sounds like he wasn´t even a direct member of Mossad but rather some kind of inofficial independent contractor.

I´m not surprised that Israel leaves him out in the rain ... AFAIK that´s how (almost) all secret services treat their independent contractors (at least as soon as they get into trouble)

[Sava]

I thought the same until I noticed the dates. It's been 28 years of a 30 year sentence, parole makes sense.

BUT OH MY GOD THOSE TWO YEARS

IT MAKES MY BALLS TWINGE

[pchang]

What kind of crap reporting is this? One sentence says 30 years and hen the next paragraph says life.

[regexcellent]

Under the laws passed at the time, he has to be released since the government can't prove he's a danger. He's automatically eligible for parole at 30 years despite the life sentence.

[kentonio]

Under the laws passed at the time, he has to be released since the government can't prove he's a danger. He's automatically eligible for parole at 30 years despite the life sentence.

Wow, its almost like the US used to have sentencing laws that weren't completely bat**** crazy.

[I AM MOBIUS]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33696718

Nice of Israel to sell him down the river. Apparently his wife was taken to Israel by Netanyahu because her and her dad were living in abject poverty after her release, but now she's living in poverty in Israel instead buried under medical bills. Nice to know service to your country is so appreciated..

Nope, I'm fairly certain they **** on their own. Mordechai Vanunu is a prime example of that.

You know, telling the world that inconvenient truth that Israel possesses an illegal nuclear weapon stockpile that the US has turned a blind eye to whilst sanctioning the ass out of Iran...

I know one way to stop Iran from having nukes - get Israel to dismantle theirs.

[pchang]

I know one way to stop Iran from having nukes - get Israel to dismantle theirs.

You are so naive.