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Spygate

August 29, 2004 | Aussie Dave | Comments

While I was away from blogging since Friday, a number of “shocking” developments have taken place:

  • The US men’s basketball team did not win the gold medal

  • The Australian men’s 4×400 relay team did win the silver medal

  • The US Justice Department is investigating whether a Pentagon official spied for Israel

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    Ok, so that last story does not really belong with the other two, but it is a novel way of bringing up the subject, which is a particularly sensitive one given the events in New Zealand over the past few months.

     

    I honestly believe that there is no way that Israel would risk jeopardizing its close relationship with the US, by spying on her. Period. I would have to agree with the sources quoted in the Jerusalem Post:

    “This is an American political story, an elections story, a pre-convention story to try to slander and criticize [US President George W.] Bush. It has nothing to do with us,” one source in Jerusalem said.

    —-

    The Jerusalem sources said that the story, which broke on the eve of the Republican National Convention in New York, comes amid an attempt over the last few months to attack the neo-conservatives close to Bush, such as Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, and Elliot Abrams, and to create the impression that the neo-cons, many of whom are Jewish, led Bush into war in Iraq because it was good for Israel, and now are trying to do the same with Iran.

     

    “This is part of the effort to find fault with Bush, and cast him as someone who is surrounded and controlled by Jewish Zionists,” one official said.

     

    The story, according to these sources, fits in neatly with the anti-Semitic agenda of some in the US who are accusing Israel of being behind Bush’s war in Iraq.

     

    The sources said that, with the current election campaign focusing on Bush’s competence to govern and command, this story is designed to tarnish his image.

     

    Sources in Jerusalem said that it is illogical to believe that Israel would be running moles in Washington for two reasons: First, because the Israeli diplomatic and security establishment is still traumatized by the Pollard Affair, and would not risk jeopardizing intimate ties with the US by repeating any such measures. Secondly, the relationship with the US is so strong, and the ties so close, that Israel could get highly sensitive material through regular diplomatic channels.

    It is interesting to see how this story is being reported elsewhere:

     

  • Various media outlets, such as CNN, are admitting that “there may not be charges at all, and if there are, there may not be espionage charges”

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  • CBS, who first “broke” the story, seem to be hoping that the allegations prove true. The headline to their story (Spy Arrest Said Possible Soon) focuses on the possibility of arrest, and not the possibility of exoneration. And while they do mention the possibility that the arrest may be for lesser charges, the story ends off on this note:

    • Washington claims the Iranian nuclear program is aimed at building atomic weapons, but Tehran says is directed at generating electricity.

     

    “We are ready to do everything necessary to give guarantees that we won’t seek nuclear weapons,” Khatami said.

     

    “As Muslims, we can’t use nuclear weapons,” he told reporters in Tehran. “One who can’t use nuclear weapons won’t produce them.”

     

    He did not elaborate on the nature of the guarantees, but Iran has already agreed to international inspections of its nuclear facilities and military sites. Khatami reiterated his country would not give up its nuclear program.

     

    Khatami’s statement marks the first time Tehran has so publicly said it would provide guarantees to ease international concerns about its nuclear program.

    I am not saying that CBS definitely has an agenda, if they are not reporting that Larry Franklin is definitely a spy..

     

  • And speaking of agendas, the BBC clearly have one when reporting the story:

    • The BBC’s Nick Childs in Washington says this is potentially a very serious development, because Israel is one of America’s closest allies.

     

    However, he adds that Israel has been accused of spying on the US before

    Unsurprisingly, the Arab/Muslim press is presenting the existence of an Israeli spy as fact.

     

  • The Gulf News carry the story with the headline FBI finds Israeli mole in Pentagon

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  • The Arab News are reporting that an Israeli spy “has been discovered at the highest levels of the Pentagon”

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  • Al Bawaba carry the story with the headline Reports: Israeli spy operating inside Pentagon

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  • Islam Online speaks of “hard evidence” of the spying, and even quotes CNN when quoting a US official as saying that there is a “slam dunk case.” As already mentioned, CNN is taking a more cautious line.

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    In the blogosphere…

     

  • Allah has a nice roundup of links and comments. He sums it up nicely here:

    • More emphatic denials from Israeli officials, who blame the whole mess on a little old-fashioned, election-year Jew-baiting. Allah’s not sure whether to hope that they’re wrong or that they’re right.

  • Glenn “Instapundit” Reynolds seems to think that it may not be a big deal, given the fact that the New York Times is downplaying the importance of Larry Franklin. He does, however, end off with some tough words:

    • Needless to say, if the guy’s guilty, he should get slammed. Moles, even for friendly powers, can’t be tolerated.

    Exactly, Glenn. Needless to say (even though you felt the need to say it)

     

  • Charles at LGF seems willing to believe in Israel on this story

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    Update: Al Jazeera are now running the article Israel has been spying on the U.S. government for decades!!, taken from Michael Rivero’s anti-Semitic conspiracy site WhatReallyHappened.com.

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    About the Author: An Australian immigrant to Israel, Aussie Dave has been blogging since early 2003.

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