What the hell is he thinking?

We've said this before, but I really have to ask where is the fight in Obama?

 The issue this time is the trial balloon they've launched that they might release convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.

Pollard is a bad guy. He's serving a life sentence for selling American military secrets to Israel, secrets that found their way to the KGB in short order. As reported in SlateThe information Pollard gave to Israel included technical details of U.S. spy satellites and highly classified information about how the U.S. intercepted Soviet communications.

For years he's had supporters agitating to get him released, and now Obama is talking about turning him over for some kind of illusory promise by Netanyahu.

Not only is Pollard bad, what we're going to get for rolling over for Netanyahu is almost precisely nothing.  Or, to be a little more specific, what Obama gets in the deal is Netanyahu sitting at the table pretending to negotiate in good faith for another year or so.

 As usual, Josh Marshall has it right. If it's inevitable that Pollard will be released, the only time it should ever happen is if we get something really, really big for it. Like a comprehensive agreement. Pollard's release might be the biggest thing Netanyahu wants from Obama (except for getting him defeated, which he tried to do in 2012), so once Netanyahu gets Pollard back there's nothing left to give.

So when Netanyahu once again says he's not giving anything, and not stopping the illegal settlements, and we need to do something to persuade him to negotiate honestly, what's left?

 Here's how to contact the White House. 

 Call the President

PHONE NUMBERS

Comments: 202-456-1111

Switchboard: 202-456-1414

TTY/TTD

Comments: 202-456-6213

 Call them today and tell them not to release Jonathan Pollard.

16 thoughts on “What the hell is he thinking?

  1. crystal ball says something is afoot or up his sleeve that we are unaware of.

    Obama imo is a chicago-style politician who does nothing that does not benefit himself politically including legacy, globalists or at the very least the party. I also believe that he makes all decisions based on advice from his advisory team b/c of his relative inexperience esp on the world stage.

    Some things are no doubt mystifying & I too am stumped.

    Sorry folks I personally believe lasting peace in the ME highly unlikely if even possible.  

  2. He is a profiteering weasel.

    It is difficult to believe that this is all there is to the story.  Doesn’t seem like a particularly good deal for the U.S., on the face of it.

  3. is Wiki which can be known to have errors, a high profile case such as this would likely contain the typical warnings & doesn’t. In its entirety, a very long but detailed, extensive & worthy read for anyone who wishes to come up to speed re Pollard. Actually like a small book.

    Looking at his early days in in the military & intelligence community what stands out are his many times busted for being well, a seriously lying weasel & seemingly neverending “scrapes”. Apparently, “three strikes – you’re out” isn’t in their lexicon or even playbook. Counting the many junctures at which he should have been dismissed is frightening. How many times he was able to be basically slapped on the wrist or received a sound spanking & then do an endrun around whatever mess he found himself in, even after he violated the terms of his plea agreement even at the end is another headshaker. That it continued for so long despite obvious red flags is mysifying.

    The logical question then becomes how many more of these jokers have there been who are still there but finally figured it out & learned how to stay under the radar as Pollard, in many instances was just stupid, sloppy & careless. The casual way security “appears” to be dealt with in this account is disturbing. One wonders if this bus had or has a driver.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

  4.  – all emphasis added

    Editorial

    Bad Move on Jonathan Pollard

    By THE EDITORIAL BOARD


    APRIL 1, 2014

    The emergence of the convicted spy Jonathan Pollard as a bargaining chip in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations is a lamentable sign of America’s desperation to keep both sides talking.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04

    AP story in HP at least sheds a pinprick of light on what “expectations” for Isreal would be:

    U.S. In Talks With Israel To Release Spy Jonathan Pollard:

    Source AP
    | by  JOSEF FEDERMAN and MATTHEW LEE  Posted: 04/01/2014 8:29 am EDT Updated: 04/01/2014 2:59 pm EDT

    JERUSALEM (AP) – The United States is talking with Israel about releasing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard early from his life sentence as an incentive to the Israelis in the troubled Mideast peace negotiations, people familiar with the talks said Monday.

    Issues:

    [..]Both spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the talks on the record.

    In return for the release, the people close to the talks said, Israel would have to undertake significant concessions to the Palestinians in Middle East negotiations. Such concessions could include some kind of freeze on Israeli settlements in disputed territory, the release of Palestinian prisoners beyond those Israel has already agreed to free and a guarantee that Israel would stay at the negotiating table beyond an end-of-April deadline

    The long-running Middle East peace negotiations are snagged over several issues, including wither Israel will agree to release more than two dozen prisoners. They include 14 Arab Israelis whom Palestinian authorities consider to be heroes and freedom fighters. Israel considers them terrorists

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

    Haaretz:

    Kerry’s desperate Pollard gamble could cost him the entire Israeli-Palestinian ball game

    The plum political prize that Kerry was handing Netanyahu convinced Palestinians that they were getting the short end of the stick; now Kerry must salvage the talks that only a few still believe in

    By Chemi Shalev | Apr. 2, 2014 | 12:43 AM |  27

    http://www.haaretz.com/news/di

    more from Haaretz:

    http://www.haaretz.com/misc/ta

    Jerusalem Post supports release but this story highlights the frustrating difficulties involved:

    Abbas rejects plea by Kerry to halt international treaty applications By JPOST.COM STAFF

    04/04/2014 16:06

    Official quotes Abbas: “Israel scares no one. They can do what they want.”

    http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy

    Frankly with continual photo-ops of Kerry sitting with some ME official looking like a begging puppy doesn’t look hopeful. Pollard as a sweetener is an insult to our intelligence community.

    Fits right in over there; op-ed from 2013:

    Jonathan Pollard: Restoring Israel to greatness

    By JONATHAN POLLARD LAST UPDATED: 08/16/2013 08:03

    http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/O

    In attempts to unravel the mystery, inclined to agree with the NY Times editorial board:

    Peace between Israelis and Palestinians can be achieved only if they want it for themselves, something that is very much in doubt right now

    So, is this really about burnishing the legacies of those involved w/the process in the US? Sure starting to look like this is what’s really going on at least in part. Another notch in the belt of this administration & the players in his game. That present & former US political luminaries advocating release remains very odd.

  5. Obama’s hallmark is pre-caving to his opposition so that they get everything they want and the Democrats get nothing.  Why would anyone ever expect Obama to completely change how he’s run his administration now?

  6. of course begs the question whether he IS thinking. The fear driving the President on this issue is obvious.

    Relative to traitors and treason, we are at least we are on the right trajectory.

    When the Rosenbergs gave military secrets of significant time value (i.e., gave the Soviets information sooner than they would have otherwise had it), we executed them.

    When Scooter Libby and Dick Cheney (relative to the Rosenbergs) gave far more sensitive and strategically critical intelligence to the Iranians and, by proxy, legitimate terrorists cells, we called their treason “the politicization of policy.” Despite a far more damaging conspiracy than the Rosenbergs, neither these two traitors, nor their co-conspirators received capital trials.

    Now, when reviewing Jonathon Pollard’s espionage, which was akin to the Rosenbergs, but trivial compared to Libby, Cheney et al., we argue on the size of his lottery ticket.

    From electric chair to book deal and talk show circuit. That’s either progress, or “who ya’ know.” But that’s just cynical, yes?

    ~~~~~~~~~

    We are now a nation of men, not laws.  

     Show me the man, I’ll find you the crime.

     Show me 2 identical crimes, committed by 2 different people, and I’ll show two different worlds. You can see one criminal steeped in money or associated with the ruling conservative establishment; and one criminal keeping company with any one of us.

    then –

      I’ll show you a medal of honor behind door #1, and an electric chair behind door #2.

    Pollard should rot, just like the Rosenbergs, and Scooter Libby and other traitors who sold out the U.S. people for personal gain.

  7. Unsure of how all the hoopla got to this point — he is out in, what a year? And no real change in the status of negotiations? Been said before but bears repeating — looks like an incredibly desperate move on behalf of someone who has never shown any real remorse & has actually acted quite arrogantly throughout.

    How he repeatedly escaped punitive action with little to any real consequences, added to the stupifying actions of his superiors is extremely perplexing to say the least.

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