Subscribe to Print Edition | Fri., November 23, 2007 Kislev 13, 5768 | | Israel Time: 17:10 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Magazine Week's End Anglo File

Nachum Manbar returning to Nitzan Prison after a 12-hour furlough in 2006. (Ariel Shalit) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 23:18 05/07/2007 State opposes freeing treason convict fearing will spy for Iran By Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent The state opposes reducing treason convict Nachum Manbar's jail sentence by a third due to concern he will become a spy for Iran, prosecutors said Thursday at a parole board meeting of the Israel Prison Service. The board will convene again to discuss the issue on August 1. Manbar was convicted in 1998 for selling military equipment to Iran and of other security crimes including helping the enemy in its war against Israel and passing information to the enemy with the intention of harming the state's security. He was sentenced to 16 years in jail. Advertisement Israel's security and intelligence institutions Mossad and the Shin Bet backed the state's opposition to reducing the treason convict's sentence at the parole hearing. They said Manbar seriously and irreversibly damaged Israel's security. They also claimed Manbar sold Iran equipment and information intended for use in building a mustard and nerve gas factory, probably for use against Israel. The two institutions said they believed Iran significantly upgraded its non-conventional weapon capabilities with the aid given by Manbar. "In light of Iranian intelligence's known methods there is a serious concern it would take interest in Manbar if he was released, to glean information and use him for Iran's objectives," a security source said. The state prosecution argued that the institutions' forecast combined with the impression that Manbar has no moral inhibitions keeping him from committing further offenses would make him an easy target for Iran to recruit as a spy. Manbar, who was born on Kibbutz Givat Haim, near Hadera, fled Israel in the 1980s after being convicted of fraud. He closed several weapons deals with Iran while living in Poland and planned larger deals, like selling Iran Soviet-made tanks, that were never carried out. The arms deals brought Manbar into contact with those responsible for Iran's missile and chemical weapons programs. After several meetings with them, primarily in Vienna, Manbar agreed to supply Iran with more than 120tons of chemical material, which could be used to make chemical weapons. All told, his deals with Iran are said to have made Manbar tens of millions of dollars Bookmark to del.icio.us The Syrian secret The IAF didn't target a nuclear reactor, but something far more vicious. In good company Study: Young U.S. Jews are most comfortable when surrounded by non-Jews.   1.   They might be right,but what about the freed pal terrorists? 21:25  |  Absolute Sweden 05/07/07   2.   he should have gotten life in the first place 23:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 05/07/07   3.   Freeing convicted spy 00:12  |  Scott Havsy 06/07/07   4.   Treason should be life w/o parole 01:09  |  Ryan 06/07/07   5.   Israeli/Iranian Arms deals 01:14  |  Henry 06/07/07   6.   such treason 16 yrs? forever with the key thrown away 01:57  |  ralph 06/07/07   7.   Pathetic 02:19  |  Daniel 06/07/07   8.   if you want him to get life, don`t argue the opposite for Pollard 02:36  |  be consistent 06/07/07   9.   Enemies Trying To Destroy You Should Be Killed 02:45  |  Efox 06/07/07   10.   "Be Consistent" 15:24  |  Albert Seligman 23/11/07

Today Online PM: Maintaining status quo with Palestinians endangers Israel Responses: 57 IDF major charged for offering to spy for Iran, Hamas Responses: 38 Bradley Burston: Sudanese refugees will enrich Israel with their dignity, diligence Responses: 14 Haaretz TV: Militants step up attacks on Hebron border police Responses: 11 ANALYSIS: PA should have set the bar higher at the outset Responses: 40 Sharansky: Distorted reasoning will doom Annapolis to failure Responses: 11 Rosner's Domain Think of Annapolis as a big party Rosner's Guest: the pervasiveness of "groupthink" in the academy Christmas wars, again? (WTR) Poll: Can the Israeli-Palestinian status quo be maintained? More Headlines 16:51 Israel welcomes Saudi FM decision to attend Annapolis summit 15:41 IDF major charged over attempt to spy for Iran, Hamas, Russia 16:25 American Jewish comedian Jerry Seinfeld in Israel to promote new movie 16:37 Lebanon delays election of new pres. due to Hezbollah-led boycott 15:44 Haifa teen confesses to multiple incidents of rape, sexual assault 12:00 Egypt's FM to Haaretz: If Israel moves ahead, so will Arab states 11:04 Survey: Only 20% of Israelis consider themselves secular 09:55 PM: Maintaining status quo with Palestinians endangers Israel 10:29 ANALYSIS: PA should have set the bar higher at the outset 02:34 In Egypt, only inquiring students know about the peace deal with Israel Previous Editions Select Day 22 nov 21 nov 20 nov 19 nov 18 nov 16 nov 15 nov 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov 09 nov

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