Jonathan Pollard - the USA Intelligence Agent of Jewish Descent - Research Paper Example

Jonathan Pollard Background Jonathan Pollard was a USA intelligence agent of Jewish descent, who was prosecuted and sentenced to life imprisonment, for having pleaded guilty to leaking USA intelligence classified information to the Israel spy gents (Shaw, 2001). Pollard was born in Texas in 1954, as the youngest of the three siblings of a decent family comprising of a highly intelligent scientist father (Shaw, 2001). His parents brought him up teaching him and the rest of his siblings the Jewish culture and the value of the Jewish Identity, such that he was highly engaged in Jewish groups as he was growing up. Having completed his high school and scored well, he joined Stanford University to study political science where he graduated with a degree, and later joined several graduate schools but did not finish a post graduate degree (Olive, 2006). During his high school years, he was a trouble maker and when he transitioned to the university he developed more interest in the Israel history and the Holocaust seemed to form art of his major interest, owing to the fact that his immediate family had been adversely affected by it. Pollard developed much interest in the intelligence career after his university studies, and he consequently applied for intelligence jobs both in the CIA and the US Navy, but the CIA turned down his application since he tested positive for drug use for the several past years (Goldenberg, 1993). However, the Navy Intelligence Command (NIC) found him suitable for intelligence gathering due to his interest in intelligence issues, thus was hired as an intelligence specialist in 1979 (Taylor, 2014). Pollard had indicated signs of inappropriateness for the intelligence career earlier in his employment, when his immediate supervisor had requested the termination of his employment after he was found to lie about issues related with the CIA involvement of his family. However, rather than terminating his employment, he was simply deployed to a different department of the NIC (Olive, 2006). Thus, he was recommended for termination or deployment to non-sensitive area of the intelligence service where he could not be involved in direct intelligence collection, but kept evading the arm of the recommending officers while transferring to different departments. In 1984, he applied for promotion to the position of naval intelligence analyst, and was subsequently accepted after the department was reorganized (Shaw, 2001). Targets of espionage John Pollard’s espionage started after he met an Israel Air force officer on leave, who was seeking to earn a degree in computer science in the USA, where he disclosed to him that he was an intelligence agent working with the USA Navy (Shaw, 2001). Following their communication, Pollard disclosed that the US was withholding some intelligence information from Israel, giving the details of the specific information to the officer, who in turn contacted his superiors over the matter. In response, the Israel army offered Pollard to be their spy, a position that he accepted (Goldenberg, 1993). Within a few days in 1984, Pollard had started releasing classified information of the US Navy intelligence to the Israel Air force officer, who would in turn pass the same to the Israel army intelligence and then pay Pollard for the spying job (Shaw, 2001). Thus, within a few months, Pollard was already releasing classified and sensitive information of the US intelligence, and in return he was receiving a salary and more regular cash benefits at the frequency of a few days for meals, hotels, movement and any other expenses necessary to make his spying job easier. Types of covert activity and tradecraft In addition to releasing information to the Israel intelligence, Pollard also attempted to sell classified and sensitive intelligence information to other countries such as Pakistan and South Africa (Olive, 2006). In addition, he also leaked information related to China’s classified document, while at the same time releasing classified intelligence information to an Australian Navy officer related to the USA-Australian foreign relations. The suspicion around Pollards activities related to carrying bulk information documents that was not in any way delivered to any of the intelligence agencies or their officers led to his arrest. However, until 1985, Pollard’s activities were just suspicions, and little was known regarding what intelligence information he had spied and leaked, and which nation was interested in his spying activities (Goldenberg, 1993). Information has suggested that Pollard was being paid approximately $50,000 for leaking the intelligence information to Israel, and still looked forward to receiving more, due to his efficiency in leaking the classified information. Aside from the intelligence information, Pollard was also leaking important economic information related to the USA sensitive business areas, as well as other important international areas of commerce to businessmen and also to his wife, who had business interests in foreign countries such as china (Shaw, 2001). Results of activities The result of the Pollard leakage of classified information still remains intangible. Pollard was arrested while in the Israel Embassy in Washington DC, where he had gone to seek for asylum to Israel, after realizing that his spying activities for the Israel intelligence was already discovered and he was on his way to being arrested (Michaud, 2011). The critics of the Pollard sentencing to life imprisonment hold that the spying activities of Pollard had no major damage on the USA intelligence, but rather helped Israel to take care of its defenses (Taylor, 2014). Additionally, the harm that was done by Pollards spying activities on the USA intelligence can still not be quantified, owing to the fact that; up to 2014, the actual documents that Pollard had passed on to the Israel intelligence and the nature of the classified or sensitive information has not been established (Wedeman, Gumuchian & Labott, 2014). However, the proponents of his sentencing holds that releasing intelligence information of whichever nature to a foreign state, is in itself a very damaging act. Political implications The result of his activities was the rising tension between the USA and Israel, which did not end with the sentencing of Pollard, but still resurrect ever so often, with the calls for the clemency and release of Pollard coming frequently (Taylor, 2014). The most recent is the letter that was sent to president Barrack Obama by the Israel premier, Benjamin Netanyahu, who is asking that Pollard be released after having served 25 years of his sentence (Michaud, 2011). The Pollard issue is still a major dilemma in the foreign relations between the USA and Israel, which has then contributed to the ever increasing tension in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine. Just recently, the negotiations for the release of the Palestinian prisoners has once again brought up the issue of Pollard’s release, owing to the fact that the Israel side seeks to have Pollard released first, so that the negotiations can progress (Wedeman, Gumuchian & Labott, 2014). The secretary of state, John Kerry stated that though the talks related to the release of the Palestinian prisoners were ongoing, the issue of Pollard’s release had also come up in the talks, and as a result no agreement related to the release of any prisoners had been reached (Wedeman, Gumuchian & Labott, 2014). In this respect, it seems that the Middle East crisis will take longer to be resolved, owing to the fact that the Pollard issue is at the center of the controversy, and thus it stands in the way of establishing peace in the Middle East. Fallout The prosecution of Pollard began in 1985 and he was eventually charged with the single offence of releasing defense intelligence to a foreign government (Shaw, 2001). Despite the fact that he was set to be charged for multiple counts of criminal activities related to spying and leakage of intelligence information, the counts were reduced to that single one, since the actual nature of the information Pollard released to the Israel intelligence still remains a vague. Following this count, Pollard was sentenced to life imprisonment, which he is serving to present day. References Goldenberg, E. (1993). The spy who knew too much: The government plot to silence Jonathan Pollard. New York, N.Y: S.P.I. Books. Michaud, J. (2011). Back Issues: Jonathan Pollard. The New Yorker. Available at: http://www.newyorker.com/books/double-take/back-issues-jonathan-pollard Taylor, A. (2014). Jonathan Pollard: Why Israel wants him free, why the U.S. doesn’t, and what might happen next. The Washington Post. Available at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/03/31/jonathan-pollard-why-israel-wants-him-free-why-the-u-s-doesnt-and-what-might-happen-next/ Olive, R. J. (2006). Capturing Jonathan Pollard: How one of the most notorious spies in American history was brought to justice. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. Shaw, M. (2001). Miscarriage of justice: The Jonathan Pollard story. St. Paul, Minn: Paragon House. Wedeman, B. Gumuchian, M & Labott, E. (2014). Jonathan Pollard, spy for Israel, could go free in emerging Mideast peace deal. CNN. Available at: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/04/01/world/meast/israel-spy/ Read More