I am not going to defend someone who breaks US law. Pollard was punished more harshly than USSR agents.
If someone broke the law here, he should be prosecuted and tried, no question about it.
However, I suspect that this incident will be used by the Israel and Jew haters to establish their arguments that Israel controls the Bush administration and the world. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Using common sense, the interest of the US and Israel intersects and largely coincides. Clearly, the US and Israel share information about Iran and this may turn out to be information that the US would have given to Israel but for the existence of some beaurocratic red tape.
Again, it's common sense. Israel is not attacking the US with terror. Iran is threatening the US with its nuclear desires and by aiding the insurrection in Iraq. (I'm not debating the war here, just stating facts.)
The US has perceived that the mid east is important to it politically and economically. This perception is largely because of oil, but a strong secondary reason is that the US supports the strong existence of Israel and the fostering of democracies, as well as fostering the hegemony that results from being the world's last superpower.
I say that the latter reasons are secondary because economic interests have a longer history in this nation. The US has always gone into battle when its economic well-being is attacked, whether it be merchant marine defense or threats to the supply of oil. The political ties to Saudi Arabia and the personal ties between the Bush & Saud families are not there because they play chess or socialize in other ways.
Israel has no oil but is perceived as a US base for military and espionage in the mideast. Israel and the US coordinate their activities, largely under the surface because of the "sensitivities" of the oil owning Arabs and the needs of our "friends" in Pakistan and elsewhere in the Islamic world.
So - the bottom line is that there are cases of coordination that happen all the time where sensitive information is shared. Are restrictions clear? Are limits on passing information clear? Is someone restricted from verbal communication about a share document?
I suspect that these are difficult questions with answers that may not be clear. It may be that the "spy" was acting within known parameters but that someone got upset and there were no CYA rules in place.
Certainly, Feith is known to Rumsield and his closeness to Israel is known to all. If there were an objection, certainly he would have been ousted long before this came to play.
Again, I'm not defending someone for breaking US laws. If someone broke the law, they should be punished.
If we are in an area that is unclear, then rules and regulations need to be tightened irrespective of whose feelings get hurt or whose toes get stepped on.
But - the key is the bottom line. I know that you don't agree but Israel's existence is going to be supported by the US population and its politicians irrespective of this incident. What's the alternative? We need the oil. We need to keep peace. We need to fight terror. We need to prevent further nuclear proliferation in the mideast. We are not going to abandon Israel even if this incident turns out to be spying. Rules and parameters may change but we are not going to abandon Israel and we are not going to attack Israel.
If Israel is involved with this, as opposed to operatives over which it has no control, then it needs, on its own, to punish anyone involved with interference with another sovereign friendly nation. This may topple the government and it should if they knew about it. Anyone who would jeopardize Israel's existence by "spying" against the US, should be punished by Israel. I can't think of anything more stupid.
As for working for our government, there are plenty of Chinese, other Asians, and others of foreign origin, who have "ties" of who have worked in the past for other nations or agencies in other nations. If there are prohibitions or if things are not disclosed in a way to mislead, then punishment should be clear and in accordance with defined rules, regulations and prohibitions.
Despite the wishes of Israel haters, this is not going to be a witch hunt. It certainly could hurt public relations and it may topple governments, but the bottom line of world conditions is not going to change.
If Israel stopped existing tomorrow, the US would still be fighting Islamic Jihaddists and other terrorists. The US would still be defending its economic interests and would be competing with any regional power for hegemony. It's a fact of life. |
