Israeli Spy Case Continues

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By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press Writer ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) - Two former officials of a pro-Israel lobbying organization and a Defense Department official accused of feeding them classified information pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges they conspired in the illegal use of classified U.S. defense information involving Middle East countries. The three are not charged with espionage, but the case has the potential of becoming the most serious U.S.-Israeli intelligence confrontation since Jonathan Pollard, an American Jew, was caught spying for Israel in 1985. Pollard is serving a life prison sentence. Lawrence A. Franklin, a Pentagon analyst, is accused of leaking information to a foreign diplomat and to Steven J. Rosen, former director of foreign policy issues for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Keith Weissman, AIPAC's former senior Iran analyst. AIPAC is among Washington's most powerful lobbying groups. U.S. investigators have questioned an Israeli official and have sought to question an Israeli diplomat who has returned to Israel. In Jerusalem, Israeli officials have said Naor Golin, the returned diplomat, had met with Franklin when Franklin was an analyst on Iranian affairs in the office of the defense undersecretary for policy. Franklin now is employed by the Defense Department's Middle East policy branch but has been working from home, with his salary, since he was charged. On Tuesday, Israel's ambassador to Washington, Daniel Ayalon, said Gilon was available to investigators if they wish. ``If the U.S. wants to get information from him, I have no doubt Israel will agree,'' Ayalon told The Associated Press. ``He has nothing to hide. We want to help as much as we can.'' Federal prosecutors allege that Rosen and Weissman conspired to obtain classified government reports on issues relevant to American policy, including the al-Qaida terror network; terrorist activities in Central Asia; the bombing of the Khobar Towers dormitory in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel; and U.S. policy in Iran. Their activities covered a five-year period, beginning in 1999, the indictment said, although Franklin was alleged to have had a relationship with them only since 2003. Their source for earlier information was left unclear in the indictment. The two leaked some of the information to reporters and to foreign diplomats, presumably Israeli, in what U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty has said was an effort to ``put their own interests and their own views of foreign policy ahead of American national security.'' Franklin's plea was his second innocent plea, made necessary because prosecutors obtained an indictment that superseded the earlier indictment. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III set a trial date for Jan. 3. All three men are free on their own recognizance pending trial. Abbe Lowell, Rosen's lawyer, told Ellis he might file motions to have the defendants tried separately rather than together and may seek to suppress evidence obtained after a warrant was obtained for investigators to search AIPAC offices. Lowell would not discuss after the hearing why he believes the evidence possibly should be suppressed. Weissman's lawyer, John Nassikas, also said he plans to file a motion asking the government to explain why it took so long to obtain an indictment. Court records indicate the defendants have been under investigation for several years at least. 2005-08-24 10:50 Reply Edit Welcome shanhuang Message: 0 / 902 My Profile Change Password Logout By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press Writer ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) - Two former officials of a pro-Israel lobbying organization and a Defense Department official accused of feeding them classified information pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges they conspired in the illegal use of classified U.S. defense information involving Middle East countries. The three are not charged with espionage, but the case has the potential of becoming the most serious U.S.-Israeli intelligence confrontation since Jonathan Pollard, an American Jew, was caught spying for Israel in 1985. Pollard is serving a life prison sentence. Lawrence A. Franklin, a Pentagon analyst, is accused of leaking information to a foreign diplomat and to Steven J. Rosen, former director of foreign policy issues for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Keith Weissman, AIPAC's former senior Iran analyst. AIPAC is among Washington's most powerful lobbying groups. U.S. investigators have questioned an Israeli official and have sought to question an Israeli diplomat who has returned to Israel. In Jerusalem, Israeli officials have said Naor Golin, the returned diplomat, had met with Franklin when Franklin was an analyst on Iranian affairs in the office of the defense undersecretary for policy. Franklin now is employed by the Defense Department's Middle East policy branch but has been working from home, with his salary, since he was charged. On Tuesday, Israel's ambassador to Washington, Daniel Ayalon, said Gilon was available to investigators if they wish. ``If the U.S. wants to get information from him, I have no doubt Israel will agree,'' Ayalon told The Associated Press. ``He has nothing to hide. We want to help as much as we can.'' Federal prosecutors allege that Rosen and Weissman conspired to obtain classified government reports on issues relevant to American policy, including the al-Qaida terror network; terrorist activities in Central Asia; the bombing of the Khobar Towers dormitory in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel; and U.S. policy in Iran. Their activities covered a five-year period, beginning in 1999, the indictment said, although Franklin was alleged to have had a relationship with them only since 2003. Their source for earlier information was left unclear in the indictment. The two leaked some of the information to reporters and to foreign diplomats, presumably Israeli, in what U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty has said was an effort to ``put their own interests and their own views of foreign policy ahead of American national security.'' Franklin's plea was his second innocent plea, made necessary because prosecutors obtained an indictment that superseded the earlier indictment. U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III set a trial date for Jan. 3. All three men are free on their own recognizance pending trial. Abbe Lowell, Rosen's lawyer, told Ellis he might file motions to have the defendants tried separately rather than together and may seek to suppress evidence obtained after a warrant was obtained for investigators to search AIPAC offices. Lowell would not discuss after the hearing why he believes the evidence possibly should be suppressed. Weissman's lawyer, John Nassikas, also said he plans to file a motion asking the government to explain why it took so long to obtain an indictment. Court records indicate the defendants have been under investigation for several years at least. 2005-08-24 10:50 Reply Edit Welcome shanhuang Message: 0 / 902 My Profile Change Password Logout By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press Writer ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP) - Two former officials of a pro-Israel lobbying organization and a Defense Department official accused of feeding them classified information pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges they conspired in the illegal use of classified U.S. defense information involving Middle East countries. The three are not charged with espionage, but the case has the potential of becoming the most serious U.S.-Israeli intelligence confrontation since Jonathan Pollard, an American Jew, was caught spying for Israel in 1985. Pollard is serving a life prison sentence. Lawrence A. Franklin, a Pentagon analyst, is accused of leaking information to a foreign diplomat and to Steven J. Rosen, former director of foreign policy issues for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, and Keith Weissman, AIPAC's former senior Iran analyst. AIPAC is among Washington's most powerful lobbying groups. U.S. investigators have questioned an Israeli official and have sought to question an Israeli diplomat who has returned to Israel. In Jerusalem, Israeli officials have said Naor Golin, the returned diplomat, had met with Franklin when Franklin was an analyst on Iranian affairs in the office of the defense undersecretary for policy. Franklin now is employed by the Defense Department's Middle East policy branch but has been working from home, with his salary, since he was charged. On Tuesday, Israel's ambassador to Washington, Daniel Ayalon, said Gilon was available to investigators if they wish. ``If the U.S. wants to get information from him, I have no doubt Israel will agree,'' Ayalon told The Associated Press. ``He has nothing to hide. We want to help as much as we can.'' Federal prosecutors allege that Rosen and Weissman conspired to obtain classified government reports on issues relevant to American policy, including the al-Qaida terror network; terrorist activities in Central Asia; the bombing of the Khobar Towers dormitory in Saudi Arabia, which killed 19 U.S. Air Force personnel; and U.S. policy in Iran. Their activities covered a five-year period, beginning in 1999, the indictment said, although Franklin was alleged to have had a relationship with them only since 2003. Their source for earlier information was left unclear in the indictment. The two leaked some of the information to reporters and to foreign diplomats, presumably Israeli, in what U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty has said was an effort to ``put their own interests and their own views of foreign policy ahead of American national security.'' Franklin's plea was his se