FBI says Pollard was also illegally involved in arms sales to other countries.
By GREER FAY CASHMAN, MATT ZALEN, JPOST.COM STAFFpollard 88(photo credit: )
According to new evidence released by the FBI on Monday, Jonathan Pollard not only passed classified information on to Israel, but also to Pakistan and Australia.
In a presentation given by FBI agent Ronald Olive that was broadcast on Channel 10, it was also revealed that Pollard was illegally involved in arms sales to Taiwan, France, Kenya, Afghanistan, and Argentina.
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In his report, Olive made no mention of what type of information Pollard passed to Australia and Pakistan, nor of how it was transferred.
Olive also said the FBI had initially believed Pollard was spying for the Russians, and that they'd had no idea at the time that Israel was involved or that Pollard was even Jewish.
This latest information was an addendum to a Sunday night airing of Olive's presentation, which showed footage of Jonathan Pollard stealing the classified documents that resulted in his imprisonment 21 years ago.
In the presentation, Olive detailed how Pollard stole classified documents and transferred them to his Israeli handlers.
The incident was described by Olive as "an absolute failure for the American security establishment," because "there wasn't one data collecting agency" which was immune to the affair.
Yet despite the damage Pollard inflicted, Olive said his methods were amateurish. In the video clip Pollard was seen stealing what Olive called an "unusually large amount of files."
The size of the files made it difficult for Pollard to close his suitcase, which he repeatedly attempted to do while leaning underneath his desk. All of this took place under the eye of surveillance cameras.
Despite his shortfalls, Pollard was intent on becoming a spy.
"His ego had to be satisfied." Olive said. "He thought, 'Now is my chance to be a spy.'"
In an interview with The Jerusalem Post on Sunday, Pollard's wife Esther said there were strong indications that the White House would respond favorably to a serious request for her husband's release, but that she knew for a fact that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would not bring up the matter during his visit to Washington.
For "all kinds of political reasons," now is a very good time for US President George W. Bush to accede to such a request, she said, especially since the administration is asking for the release Fatah-Tanzim leader Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five life sentences plus 40 years in an Israeli prison for five murders and an attempted murder.
