Update on the AIPAC Espionage Case
The Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy, an independent Washington-based policy research institute, has addressed three recent statements to the upcoming trial of former AIPAC officials Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman who have been indicted for espionage and giving classified documents to the Israeli government. Larry Franklin, formerly an analyst with the Defense Intelligence Agency, has been convicted for his part in these transactions and is currently serving a 12-year jail term. IRMep's latest press release regarding a correction it is seeking from the Washington Post neatly summarizes the state of the Rosen-Weissman indictment.
IRMep has just published a book on "how the Neoconservatives broke the law to receive America" called "Deadly Dogma." The author is Grant F. Smith, and it is available from their website, www.irmep.org. This release is being sent with IRMep's permission.
On Saturday, April 29, 2006 the Washington Post will issue a correction to a Walter Pincus story about the AIPAC espionage case.
The correction comes at the insistence of IRmep after a one month process working through the newspaper's Ombudsman office. At first Ombudsman Deborah Howell was reluctant to issue a correction about the espionage statutes. At stake was a citation in an AIPAC espionage trial story in which reporter Walter Pincus misquoted the 1917 Espionage Act. The Act is used to prosecute persons suspected of relaying classified information which can be used to "the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign country."
After receiving numerous examples from IRmep of how Pincus' mistake was being propagated into other stories trivializing AIPAC lobbyistWeissman and Rosen's alleged criminal activities, yesterday the Post finally gave in and committed to a correction of the story.
IRmep is still concerned that the Washington Post and other newspapers of record are trying to portray the prosecution of Weissman and Rosen as a looming threat to journalists' ability to cover national security issues. Other Pincus articles have quoted verbatim the defense team's assertion that prosecuting two lobbyists for espionage activity is a threat to freedom of speech.
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/gsmith.php?articleid=8891
IRmep believes this is nonsense, but the presiding judge in the case, T.S. Ellis, is still considering a motion to dismiss the charges on the basis of the freedom of speech argument. He will rule on the defense team's motion to dismiss on May 23, 2006.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/aipac022706.pdf
Before that date, IRmep will attempt to file another amicus brief to the court demonstrating that the Espionage statute functions as a sort of "regulation FD". Fair Disclosure is the SEC rule that protects small investors by regulating the disclosure of material information on publicly traded companies to prevent "insider trading".
http://www.sec.gov/rules/final/33-7881.htm
By allegedly recruiting former Pentagon official Lawrence Franklin (sentenced to 12 years in prison) to disclose classified information in return for a potential job on the National Security Council, Weissman and Rosen were in no way exercising "freedom of speech", but rather corrupting US Middle East policy formulation to the detriment of all Americans.
IRmep considers the Rosen and Weissman criminal trial to be a potential turning point in overhauling a broken US policy formulation process. A successful prosecution could mean the permanent removal of one of the most damaging unregistered foreign agents ever activated in the United States: the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Removing AIPAC will level the playing field and outlaw trading inside information for unwarranted influence. After AIPAC a broader array of important policy voices will be heard in Washington.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Council for the National Interest Foundation click here:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2836
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
http://www.cnionline.org/
IRMep has just published a book on "how the Neoconservatives broke the law to receive America" called "Deadly Dogma." The author is Grant F. Smith, and it is available from their website, www.irmep.org. This release is being sent with IRMep's permission.
On Saturday, April 29, 2006 the Washington Post will issue a correction to a Walter Pincus story about the AIPAC espionage case.
The correction comes at the insistence of IRmep after a one month process working through the newspaper's Ombudsman office. At first Ombudsman Deborah Howell was reluctant to issue a correction about the espionage statutes. At stake was a citation in an AIPAC espionage trial story in which reporter Walter Pincus misquoted the 1917 Espionage Act. The Act is used to prosecute persons suspected of relaying classified information which can be used to "the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign country."
After receiving numerous examples from IRmep of how Pincus' mistake was being propagated into other stories trivializing AIPAC lobbyistWeissman and Rosen's alleged criminal activities, yesterday the Post finally gave in and committed to a correction of the story.
IRmep is still concerned that the Washington Post and other newspapers of record are trying to portray the prosecution of Weissman and Rosen as a looming threat to journalists' ability to cover national security issues. Other Pincus articles have quoted verbatim the defense team's assertion that prosecuting two lobbyists for espionage activity is a threat to freedom of speech.
http://www.antiwar.com/orig/gsmith.php?articleid=8891
IRmep believes this is nonsense, but the presiding judge in the case, T.S. Ellis, is still considering a motion to dismiss the charges on the basis of the freedom of speech argument. He will rule on the defense team's motion to dismiss on May 23, 2006.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/jud/aipac022706.pdf
Before that date, IRmep will attempt to file another amicus brief to the court demonstrating that the Espionage statute functions as a sort of "regulation FD". Fair Disclosure is the SEC rule that protects small investors by regulating the disclosure of material information on publicly traded companies to prevent "insider trading".
http://www.sec.gov/rules/final/33-7881.htm
By allegedly recruiting former Pentagon official Lawrence Franklin (sentenced to 12 years in prison) to disclose classified information in return for a potential job on the National Security Council, Weissman and Rosen were in no way exercising "freedom of speech", but rather corrupting US Middle East policy formulation to the detriment of all Americans.
IRmep considers the Rosen and Weissman criminal trial to be a potential turning point in overhauling a broken US policy formulation process. A successful prosecution could mean the permanent removal of one of the most damaging unregistered foreign agents ever activated in the United States: the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Removing AIPAC will level the playing field and outlaw trading inside information for unwarranted influence. After AIPAC a broader array of important policy voices will be heard in Washington.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To make a tax-deductible contribution to the Council for the National Interest Foundation click here:
https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=2836
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Council for the National Interest Foundation
1250 4th Street SW, Suite WG-1
Washington, District of Columbia 20024
http://www.cnionline.org/
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