US to Release Pollard for Barghouti?
Charles Johnson
Sat Apr 15, 2006 at 5:27 pm PDT • Views: 223
Wow. I can’t vouch for the credibility of this report at the Jerusalem Post, but they say the US may free convicted Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard (serving a life sentence for espionage) in exchange for Israel freeing convicted Fatah kingpin Marwan Barghouti (serving several consecutive life sentences for several terror attacks): Report: US to release Pollard in Barghouti swap deal. (Hat tip: Carl in Jerusalem.)
Officials in Jerusalem claimed on Saturday that the US would free imprisoned Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in exchange for Israel releasing jailed Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.
According to Army Radio, Israel is set to offer the proposed prisoner swap deal in the next few months, following the unfolding anarchy in the Palestinian Authority. Seemingly, Israel intends to use Barghouti’s release to strengthen the Fatah movement against the background of the much criticized rule of the new Hamas-led Palestinian government.
In 2004 Israel suggested a similar move but the initiative was rejected by the US government. Jerusalem officials predict that on this occasion the White House will accept the proposal.
Pollard, a former Mossad agent, was convicted of selling US military secrets to Israel, while he worked at the Defense Department’s Pentagon headquarters. He was arrested in 1985 and pleaded guilty to the espionage charges. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and has been incarcerated in a US jail for the past 21 years.
It makes a sort of warped sense to counter the growing chaos of the Hamas terror state (which is only going to get worse) with a stronger Fatah presence, but my Acme BS Detector is showing a reading.
Frank says: