8/28/2004

Spying for AIPAC?

Oh, boy. Just what we needed. Someone leaked reports of a spying investigation on an analyst in the DOD who allegedly passed info on Iran to the American Israel Political Action Commitee, thence to the Israelis.

www.debka.com has an analysis on two possible reasons to leak this now. To summarize, either someone is doing a hatchet-job on the President, or the President is trying to show how he's not under anyone's control by trumpeting this as his idea. If the second reason is true, then somebody messed up big-time. The news services are already gleefully reporting on all the ways in which the Evil, Devious Israelis could have influenced U.S. policy on Iraq, and this is not going to end up being a plus for Bush in the elections.

A few thoughts. One, it looks like this was a case of Amatuer Night, rather than a professional intelligence operation. I doubt that a serious spook would have fed info to AIPAC, of all people, because it blows Israel's plausible deniability straight to heck, and damages an influential political organ.

Two, the same thing is true now as it was during the Jonathan Pollard case. Israel and the United States theoretically have a comprehensive information-sharing agreement. Either Israel already had the info they were given, or else the U.S. was holding out on the Israelis (which has been known to happen). Ergo, I don't really see the problem.

Three, the data in question concerns Iran. It seems obvious that if anyone is going to take action to destroy Iran's weapons program, it's going to be the Israelis, so we should be giving them all the help we've got! Heaven forbid that a U.S. ally is able to defeat the most serious threat to U.S. interests in the Middle-East...

I've got to pack now, my plane to New York leaves in the morning. Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to school we go!

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