Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard Released After 30 Years In Prison

New York Times: After 30 Years in Prison, Jonathan Pollard Is Freed, but Not to Israel

WASHINGTON — Jonathan J. Pollard, the American convicted of spying on behalf of Israel, walked out of prison early on Friday after 30 years, the Israeli prime minister said, but the Obama administration had no plans to let him leave the country and move to Israel as he requested.

Mr. Pollard, who as a Navy intelligence analyst passed classified documents to Israeli handlers, was released from a federal prison in Butner, N.C., after receiving parole on a life sentence, ending a long imprisonment that has been a constant irritant in relations between the United States and Israel.

The prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said in a statement that the people of his nation “welcome the release” and that he, personally, “had long hoped this day would come.”

More News On Jonathan Pollard Being Released After 30 Years In Prison

Israeli spy Pollard freed from U.S. prison after 30 years -- Reuters
Pollard, spy for Israel, released from prison after 30 years -- Washington Post
Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard released from U.S. prison after 30 years -- L.A. Times
Convicted Spy Pollard Released From Prison After 30 Years -- AP
Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard Released From U.S. Prison After 30 Years -- WSJ
Convicted Israel spy Jonathan Pollard released after 30 years -- CNN
Israel spy Pollard freed by US -- BBC
Spy Jonathan Pollard freed after 30 years but still a thorn in US-Israeli ties -- The Guardian
Jonathan Pollard, spy for Israel, freed on parole after 30 years in prison -- USA Today
An Israeli Spy Who Spent Nearly Half His Life in US Jail Has Just Been Released -- VICE News

Will Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard Collect $1 Million When He Is Released From Jail?

Israelis hold placards depicting Jonathan Pollard during a protest calling for his release from a U.S. prison, outside U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's hotel in Jerusalem January 2, 2014. AMMAR AWAD/REUTERS

Newsweek: Does Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard Have $1 Million Waiting in a Swiss Bank Account?

If past reports are true, convicted spy Jonathan Pollard could have about $1 million waiting for him in a Swiss bank account when he is released from federal prison on parole in November. Pollard, whose release was announced on Tuesday, has served nearly 30 years for supplying the Israeli government with classified U.S. intelligence documents.

Pollard's new problem: how to get to the cash, and when. According to multiple past reports based on the statements of United States investigators, Israeli intelligence paid Pollard $50,000 by the time he was arrested in 1985, on top of lavish gifts, and promised to deposit $30,000 a year for him in a secret Swiss bank account. The original 10-year deal could have amounted to as much as $540,000, officials said when he went to jail. But if the Israelis continued the payments to their captured spy—a common practice of major espionage agencies the world over—then Pollard could be in line for a $1 million payday, or more.

News of Pollard claiming such a reward, however, could touch off a firestorm in the already rocky relations between the U.S. and Israel.

WNU Editor: The Pollard legal team is denying these reports .... but I suspect that we will not know the real answer until he leaves the U.S. which I expect him to do when the conditions of his parole permit him to.

Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard Will be Released By U.S. Authorities In November

New York Times: Jonathan Pollard, Spy for Israel, to Be Released on Parole in November

WASHINGTON — Jonathan J. Pollard, who was sentenced to life in prison in 1985 for passing classified documents to the Israeli government, will be released on parole in November after 30 years in prison, a government panel decided on Tuesday.

Mr. Pollard’s lawyers announced the decision of the United States Parole Commission on Tuesday afternoon, and officials at the Department of Justice confirmed that Mr. Pollard had been granted parole.

Mr. Pollard, 60, had been scheduled for mandatory parole in November, but could have been kept in prison for years longer if the United States government had objected to his release, citing concerns about an ongoing threat to national security.

Update #1: U.S. to parole convicted Israeli spy Pollard on Nov. 21 -- Reuters
Update #2: US analyst who spied for Israel to be paroled after 30 years -- AP
Update #3: Israeli Spy Pollard Will Be Released in November, Lawyers Say -- WSJ

WNU Editor: As a U.S. naval intelligence officer he had privy to a lot of sensitive information .... information and intel that he was more than willing to sell to Israel for money. He knew the consequences .... and he should have known better that if you want to do the crime, be prepared to the time. Considering that he will have served 30 years when he is released .... I would say that he got off light.

Convicted Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard To Be Given Parole By The U.S.

Daily Mail: Israeli spy who was jailed for life in 1987 after collecting 1,500 pieces of intelligence and 800 classified documents while serving as a U.S. Navy officer is set to be freed

* US Navy intelligence officer Jonathan Pollard convicted of spying for Israel
* Texas native had turned over more than 800 highly classified documents
* Is serving time in federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, after guilty plea
* Release of 60-year-old could help smooth relations after Iran nuclear deal
* Has November parole consideration and US Parole Commission will decide
* Supporters say he should be released due to poor health and harsh penalty

The Obama administration is preparing to release Jonathan Pollard, a former US Navy intelligence officer convicted of spying for Israel in 1985 and sentenced to life in federal prison two years later.

The release would end a decades-long fight between Israel and the US over Pollard, 60, and some US officials hope the move will smooth relations with Israel following the Iran nuclear deal.

Any ruling about Pollard, who pleaded guilty, would be made by the US Parole Commission.

WNU Editor: I guess the White House decided that now is the time to give the Israelis a "bone".

More News On The Pending Release Of Jonathan Pollard

Jonathan Pollard eligible for ‘mandatory parole’ in November -- Washington Post
U.S. Says Parole of Jonathan Pollard, Spy for Israel, Will Follow Law -- NYT
U.S. Preparing to Release Convicted Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard, Officials Say -- WSJ
Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard up for parole soon -- CBS/AP
Report: U.S. Will Release Jonathan Pollard, Convicted Israeli Spy -- Reuters
Report: The Obama Administration May Release Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard -- Mother Jones
Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy Obama might let out of prison, explained -- VOX

Reports: Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard May Be Released In Emerging Mideast Peace Deal

Jonathan Pollard, Spy For Israel, Could Go Free In Emerging Mideast Peace Deal -- CNN

(CNN) -- Jonathan Pollard, the former U.S. intelligence agent who was convicted of spying for Israel, could be released before the Jewish holiday of Passover as part of efforts to save Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, an Israeli official involved in the talks told CNN.

Suggestions for deals for Pollard's release have been floated over the years but have not materialized. Passover starts on April 14.

Talk of Pollard's possible release came as Secretary of State John Kerry traveled to Israel on Monday to try to mediate a dispute between Israel and the Palestinians over the release of Palestinian prisoners. Kerry was in Belgium on Tuesday.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That Israeli Spy Jonathan Pollard May Be Released In Emerging Mideast Peace Deal

American spy’s release in play for Mideast peace -- Washington Post
Possible release of Israeli spy Pollard spurs uproar -- USA Today
WH: No Obama decision on Pollard release -- USA Today
White House: Obama Has Not Decided To Release Israeli Spy -- Reuters
Spycatchers: Freeing Pollard While Pursuing Snowden Sends ‘Mixed Signals’ -- ABC News
How Obama Might Release a Spy to Salvage Middle East Peace Talks -- Michael Crowley, Time
The Arguments For And Against Releasing Jonathan Pollard -- Greg Myre, NPR
27 years later, Jonathan Pollard case remains a diplomatic thorn -- Tom Cohen, CNN
Jonathan Pollard: Why Israel wants him free, why the U.S. doesn’t, and what might happen next -- Adam Taylor, Washington Post
Who is Jonathan Pollard, and why is his spy case inflammatory? -- Peter Grier, Christian Science Monitor

Is Convicted Israeli Spy Pollard About To Be Released By U.S. Authorities To Spur Israeli - Palestinian Peace Talks?

Israelis hold placards depicting Jonathan Pollard during a protest calling for his release from a U.S. prison. Photo by Reuters

U.S. May Free Pollard If Israel Agrees To Freeze Construction, Release Prisoners -- Haaretz

Kerry and Netanyahu hold three-hour long meeting immediately upon secretary of state's arrivals.

The United States may release jailed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in exchange for dramatic Israli concessions - including a freeze in settlement construction and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners - as a means to salvaging the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians

Senior Palestinian officials said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had refused to discuss the Israeli proposals until Jerusalem agreed to carry out the fourth stage of the prisoner release - including the 14 Israeli Arabs jailed before the Oslo Accords were signed in 1993.

Read more ....

More News On Teports That The U.S. May Release Convicted Israeli Spy Pollard To Spur Israeli - Palestinian Peace Talks

U.S. may release spy Jonathan Pollard to aid Mideast peace talks, source says -- AP
U.S. and Israel Discuss Releasing American Spy -- New York Times
U.S. could free Israeli spy in deal to save peace talks: source close to talks -- Reuters
US Has No Status 'Update' on Reported Deal to Release Israeli Spy -- ABC News
White House: No new information to offer on convicted Israeli spy -- Reuters
White House sidesteps questions about releasing spy Jonathan Pollard -- Examiner
Will Obama free Israeli spy? Pollard in U.S. prison -- Lynn Sweet, Chicago Sun Times

My Comment: If stunts like this (and the release of Pollard would be a stunt) are deemed necessary for peace to occur .... then here is an easy prediction .... there will be no peace because there is no foundation for peace. We are now down to a peace process that is dependent on gestures and promises instead of a true commitment and desire for peace.

Israel's PM Pleads For The Release Of Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard

Israel's PM Pleads For Obama To Release Spy -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly appealed to President Barack Obama on Tuesday to release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard, promising Israel would never again spy on the United States in the way Pollard did.

"Jonathan has suffered greatly for his actions and his health has deteriorated considerably," Netanyahu argued, saying: "The people of Israel will be eternally grateful" to Obama for pardoning him.

Read more ....

More News On Israel's Request To The U.S. To Release Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard

Copy of Netanyahu's letter to Obama requesting clemency for Jonathan Pollard -- Haaretz
Netanyahu asks Obama to pardon jailed Israeli spy -- Reuters
Israeli PM appeals to US to free convicted spy -- FOX News/AP
Netanyahu Asks Obama to Free Convicted Spy Pollard -- Bloomberg Businessweek
500 Americans ask for clemency for Jonathan Pollard -- Washington Post

My Comment: Just say no Mr. President.