Mr. Obama, freeing Jonathan Pollard won't help you. Do it anyway

Is it true that Israel after finally admitting that it paid Pollard for his treason refused to return to the U.S. the most critical stolen documents? Is it true that Israel gave the USSR these documents in return for their releasing Soviet Jews which Israel wanted to help populate the West Bank? Is it true that Pollard is regarded as a hero who had an Israeli Street named after him and has a house to welcome him?

Pollard will automatically be released on November 21, 2015 because under US law federal prisoners serving life sentences for crimes committed before 1987 are automatically released after 30 years unless they commit other crimes or violate prison regulations. Pollard received a life sentence because after he made his plea bargain Pollard and former his wife publicly bragged about their crimes. In a TV interview before sentencing Pollard bragged about how valuable his intelligence was to Israel and his former wife even said that any good Jew would have done what Pollard did,. You don't do that if you want clemency and the court took that into consideration when it imposed a life sentence. I would support clemency if Pollard would take responsibility for his crimes, apologize for his treason, repudiate the supporters who treat him as a hero and promise not to acdept any honors or rewards for spying against his country. But Pollard is unrepentent. As soon as he is released he will give the US the finger and emigrate to Israel where he will be a rich and famous national hero. Since he is unrepentent, and his many supporters regard his treason as heroic, he should serve the rest of his time which, unfortunately, ends in 2015.. BTW, if anyone wants to check on Pollards scheduled release date, you can go to the US federal inmate locator at http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/LocateInmate.jsp and type in his name.

If Pres. Obama pardons Mr. Pollard, he might as emigrate back to Kenya or Indonesia.

This man should never be released. No president of the United States will ever pardon Johnthan Pollard. What is interesting is this man first tried to sell secrets to other countries long before Israel. Why Israel feels the need to seek a pardon is beyond me. Asking for a pardon for Pollard would be the same if the United States wanted a pardon in exchange for Anat Kam and Vananu. All three should spend the rest of their life in jail for what they did.

Pollard was an evil spy. The US has condemned him after a legal court proceeding according their laws. Israel is imprsoning Palestians without court proceeding and jail them for many years. Who is better?

one time I agree with bradley!!!

He should have been electrocuted like Ethel Rosenberg. Six jolts in a row till smoke came out of her ears. He's a traitor.

If you don't want to do the time don't do the crime. Simple as that...Pollard should be forgotten he did it for monetary gain and therefor inexcusable.

why the same people that yield for pollards release didn't move a finger for mordechai vanunu !!??? which has rotten in an israeli prision many years and that for telling the world what everybody already knew!!

What really huge,broad strokes that is. What a mindset it takes to produce that. Meanwhile, I believe that treason is still on the books as a capital offense.

Could have started WWIII and exposed all of the US's nuclear defense strategies. Many spies were killed because of him. He was not an Israeli citizen either. He was an American and he sold his country out. Freeing him will cause chaos and rumor has they would never let him leave anyways if you catch my meaning

I am not so sure! Mercy is a powerful reason to act but some matters have so many political overtones and could send the wrong message, that, as I say, I am not sure. Pollard is not a man to be admired. He committed treason against his country for monetary gain; he has since suggested he did it for the love of Israel, but that doesn't sell very well, although it gains him support from the Israeli right. How about freeing Marwan Barghouti? What he did certainly was not for money, certainly did not involve any personal action on his part, and more surely than Pollard, was done for love of his country, or at least the country he believed should be recognized for his people. As I say, pardons are tricky. And grant the one if the other was granted as well.