Jonathan Pollard

The Free Jonathan Pollard movement is starting to sound as old as drumbeat in the distance. But why shouldn't Pollard, who was convicted of passing "secrets" along to Israel our ally be released?

As a naval intelligence officer, Pollard came across information that the State Department had that Syria, Iraq, Libya and Iran were developing nuclear and chemical weapons to use against Israel, so he did what any reasonable person would do; he passed the information along to the Israeli government that they were legally entitled to anyway.

After the story broke, he and his wife tried to seek asylum in the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Although they were originally accepted, they were later turned away. Although it isn't my style to publicly criticize Israel, I think the Israeli Embassy should have granted Pollard and his wife asylum rather than using them as pawns and hoisting them into the waiting arms of the FBI.

He was convicted of treason for passing along information to an ally and given a life sentence. Clinton was supposed to pardon him but reneged on his agreement. Yet George W. pardoned those convicted of embezzlement, income tax evasion and falsifying firearms records. Obama pardoned those convicted of offenses like selling drugs and moving stolen property across state lines, so you'd think someone could pardon Pollard for passing information along to an ally in the name of self-preservation. Besides, Pollard is ill and needs to spend his dying days in peace rather than continue to be used as an example.

I called the White House asked President Obama to pardon him and may send an email as well. Hoping you will do something, too.

202.456.1111

http://www.jonathanpollard.org/