FBI investigating possible spy for Israel

[Fluffybunny]

Link

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The FBI has evidence that a person who has been working at high levels in the Pentagon may be a spy for Israel, senior U.S. officials confirmed to CNN on Friday.

The suspect could have been in a position to influence Bush administration policy toward Iran and Iraq, the senior official said.

However, another government official said the suspect is "not in a level to influence policy."

"He is an analyst in an undersecretary's office," this official said.

A senior Pentagon official confirmed to CNN that Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "had been made generally aware that the Justice Department had an investigation going on."

CBS News, which first reported the story, said the FBI had developed evidence against the suspect, including photographs and conversations recorded through wiretaps.

The network said the suspect has ties to two senior Pentagon officials: Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz and Undersecretary of Defense Douglas Feith.

Multiple sources have told CNN that the investigation is well along, and one government official described the evidence against the suspect as a "slam dunk case" and said "there has been no decision to prosecute the individual."

Officials said the suspect passed classified documents to Israel through the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group.

But AIPAC released a statement late Friday calling news reports that two of its staff members may have passed internal White House policy deliberations on Iran to Israel "false and baseless."

The statement said AIPAC learned Friday that "the government is investigating an employee of the Department of Defense for possible violations in handling confidential information."

A designation of the material as confidential would indicate a much lower level of secrecy than if it had been designated as classified.

AIPAC said it "is cooperating fully" with government authorities, including providing documents and information and making staff members available for interviews. Sources told CNN that two AIPAC employees have been interviewed in the case by the FBI.

"Neither AIPAC nor any of its employees has violated any laws or rules, nor has AIPAC or its employees ever received information they believed was secret or classified," the statement said. "AIPAC is an American organization comprised of proud and loyal U.S. citizens committed to promoting American interests. We do not condone or tolerate any violation of any U.S. law or interests."

Washington insiders note that it is not unusual for friendly governments to have access to certain classified information, so even if the allegations are correct, not everyone involved may have thought they were involved in espionage. Still, one U.S. source is calling the case "a very serious matter."

David Siegel, a spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, denied the allegations.

"The United States is Israel's most cherished friend and ally. We have a strong, ongoing, working relationship at all levels, and in no way would Israel do anything to impair this relationship."

An Israeli official in Washington said the U.S. government has not contacted the Israelis about any such investigation.

Despite the close relationship between the two countries, espionage against the United States on behalf of Israel would not be without precedent. Former U.S. Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard is serving a life sentence for passing classified material to Israel.

The Justice Department, speaking for the FBI, refused to comment, saying only, "We cannot confirm or deny the report."

An FBI spokesman said the bureau has no comment on the CBS report.

[bathory]

keep us posted

[wunarmdscissor]

surely israel wouldnt be that daft.

[BurnSide]

Putting someone in the Pentagon? That's a pretty bold move, i dunno about that. Sounds like jumping to conclusions to me. Interesting to see how it turns out.

[gollum]

surely israel wouldnt be that daft.

What would be daft about putting a spy into the worlds largest source of intel.?

I'm just surprised he got that close to so much sensative info.

[Babs]

Very interesting....heard this on the news.

[seventh_son]

It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone! All the nations of the world spy on friend and foe alike. Dispite the good relations the US has with Isreal there are

a lot of dfferences between the two. Any information having to do with Iran would

be of great interest to Isreal.

[Babs]

Erikl might be able to get info. from his part of the country on this incident.

[Talon]

Cause thats really going to be an unbias source

[bathory]

Cause thats really going to be an unbias source

thats why you look at it critically, practically every source of information has biases

its like saying "statements from the Bush administration are obviously biased, we should listen to Michael Moore"

its nonsensical:)

Edited August 30, 2004 by bathory

[Talon]

thats why you look at it critically, practically every source of information has biases

Yes, I didn't get a BA hons. in history without covering source analysis I was making a joke about Erikle's info for Babs that must have not come off properly

[+joc]

You only hear about who is spying on you when they get caught.

surely israel wouldnt be that daft.

Someday the whole world will come down on Israel's head....and we will be right there in the thick of it with them....

....obviously they don't trust us to tell them everything we know about everything we know....but then again ...why would we?

Anyway...what are they really going to get for their trouble...I mean, surely everyone knows that our intelligence has failed the world miserably...right? So why would they even bother?!

Edited August 30, 2004 by joc

[Babs]

Beautiful avatar and saying joc.

I like what Erikl has to say on matters...he spits it out pretty objectively.

[wunarmdscissor]

i really like erikl hes a good guy.

However he is in no way objective.

He cant be its impossible.

He lives right smack abng in the middle of the whole mess.

[Babs]

i really like erikl hes a good guy.

However he is in no way objective.

He cant be its impossible.

He lives right smack abng in the middle of the whole mess.

That's exactly why I'd like to hear from him.

[Babs]

joc...

That just struck me I have a poem hanging up on my wall that I love. (Obviously, I framed it and put it there ). It is similar.

In Spring, when woods are green,

I'll try and tell you what I mean:

In Summer, when the days are long,

Perhaps you'll understand the song:

For this must ever be

A secret

Kept from all the rest

Between yourself and me.

Edited August 30, 2004 by Babs