Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

Convicted Spy Jonathan Pollard Back in Court

Aired September 02, 2003 - 06:06   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard will also be in court today, as his attorneys try to convince a judge to allow an appeal of his life sentence. Also at issue: Pollard wants access to classified government documents pertaining to his case. It will be the first time he has appeared in public since his 1987 sentencing.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer takes a look back at the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Jonathan J. Pollard was arrested by the FBI in November, 1985, and charged with selling classified material to Israel. He was an American citizen working for the Navy as a civilian intelligence analyst. He pled guilty and was sentenced to life.

Upon his arrest, Israeli leaders apologized, but tried to deny responsibility, saying his mission had been unauthorized. But in 1998, they admitted that indeed his operation was known at the highest levels of the Israeli government. He's now an Israeli citizen.

For his part, Pollard has denied spying against the United States, saying he was only giving information he believed was vital to Israeli security.

The Israelis have never revealed to the U.S. government exactly what it was he gave them, although it is said to include information on Iraqi and Syrian chemical weapons, Soviet arms shipments to Syria, and a Pakistani atomic project.

President Clinton came close to pardoning Jonathan Pardon in the closing days of his administration, but didn't, after CIA Director George Tenet said he would resign if Clinton did so.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Wolf Blitzer reporting.

The Israeli government has asked the Bush administration for Pollard's release, by the way.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.






Aired September 2, 2003 - 06:06   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Convicted spy Jonathan Pollard will also be in court today, as his attorneys try to convince a judge to allow an appeal of his life sentence. Also at issue: Pollard wants access to classified government documents pertaining to his case. It will be the first time he has appeared in public since his 1987 sentencing.
CNN's Wolf Blitzer takes a look back at the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR (voice-over): Jonathan J. Pollard was arrested by the FBI in November, 1985, and charged with selling classified material to Israel. He was an American citizen working for the Navy as a civilian intelligence analyst. He pled guilty and was sentenced to life.

Upon his arrest, Israeli leaders apologized, but tried to deny responsibility, saying his mission had been unauthorized. But in 1998, they admitted that indeed his operation was known at the highest levels of the Israeli government. He's now an Israeli citizen.

For his part, Pollard has denied spying against the United States, saying he was only giving information he believed was vital to Israeli security.

The Israelis have never revealed to the U.S. government exactly what it was he gave them, although it is said to include information on Iraqi and Syrian chemical weapons, Soviet arms shipments to Syria, and a Pakistani atomic project.

President Clinton came close to pardoning Jonathan Pardon in the closing days of his administration, but didn't, after CIA Director George Tenet said he would resign if Clinton did so.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Wolf Blitzer reporting.

The Israeli government has asked the Bush administration for Pollard's release, by the way.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.