DIA's internal Jonathan Pollard briefing video can help organizations detect Israeli espionage – IRmep

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has just released an internal briefing video that is now available online on both Vimeo and Youtube. The IRmep Center for Policy and Law Enforcement obtained release under the Freedom of Information Act.

“most of the highly damaging and similarly well-documented incidents of Israeli espionage never generate this level of investigation or due process, especially when it is the private sector that is the victim of Israeli covert action.”

Jonathan Pollard was sentenced to life in prison in 1987 after he was caught selling large amounts of highly classified documents to Israel. The 14 minute video "Jonathan Pollard: A Portrayal" produced by the Threat Countermeasures Branch of the DIA emphasizes that "eighty percent" of the documents obtained by Pollard were DIA files.

The video encourages American government employees to overcome inhibitions and proactively report suspicious activities. Actors portray "Susan" (a pseudonym for the actual DIA employee who first reported Jonathan Pollard to the Office of Security) and Jonathan Pollard. "Susan" heard Pollard's elaborate stories of lavish European vacations, obsession over the Middle East and tales of elegant restaurant excursions. When she discovered Pollard was also transporting large amounts of classified material to his home she notified security. A librarian also warned of Pollard's prohibited use of a briefcase to transport large quantities of documents.

The video notes it is "natural" for American citizens to keep such observations to themselves. "Susan" expresses that her initial worries about reporting Pollard's possible espionage would lead to criminal investigators "climbing" all over the offices were unfounded. The investigation was "discreet" and "professional" involving a slow look at records.

The video optimistically concludes that—when in doubt—suspected espionage should be promptly reported since it is "only the Pollards of the world" who will get hurt. "Sadly," according to IRmep Director Grant F. Smith after reviewing the video, "most of the highly damaging and similarly well-documented incidents of Israeli espionage never generate this level of investigation or due process, especially when it is the private sector that is the victim of Israeli covert action."

Material obtained under FOIA by IRmep reveals that during the same time period Jonathan Pollard was active; American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) officials obtained and used stolen classified US confidential business information passed by an Israeli diplomat. Although industry groups such as the US Bromine Alliance filed formal complaints and the FBI investigated, no action was ever taken. Israeli spy-master Rafael Eitan—mentioned in the DIA video— earlier infiltrated the NUMEC facility in Apollo, Pennsylvania at the invitation of its owner Zalman Shapiro. Although FBI investigators obtained eyewitness affidavits of the mass diversion of weapons-grade uranium from the site, presumably into the Israeli nuclear weapons program, a 1978 GAO report concluded no bona fide effort was ever made to properly prosecute Israel's US based operatives. Victims of NUMEC toxic pollution are currently filing hundreds of millions in health claims as the US Army Corps of Engineers struggles to manage a toxic cleanup that could cost taxpayers up to half a billion dollars.

In 2010 the Israeli front company Telogy was discovered illegally shipping nuclear weapons components out of California to Israel. The company quickly terminated operations and fled after details of the violations were leaked to a think tank. No Telogy operatives were ever indicted. In 2012 American scientist Stewart Nozette was sentenced to 13 years for attempted Israeli espionage. No FBI investigation into Israeli Aerospace Industries—which had paid Nozette $225,000 during the period of his classified information theft—was allowed to proceed. Although Nozette admitted to passing secrets to Israel and that he thought IAI was a Mossad front in court documents, US Attorney Ron Machen issued a public statement that no documents had ever been passed to Israel.

Private sector corporate security executives and government officials may obtain a free high-resolution hardcopy of the original DIA DvD by emailing an official mailing address to [e-mail]. DIA provides defense intelligence to prevent strategic surprise and deliver a decision advantage to stakeholders. IRmep is a Washington DC based nonprofit organization that studies US-Middle East policy formulation.