George Shultz calls for Jonathan Pollard's release

Jennifer Rubin - The Washington Post - January 12, 2011

In a remarkable development in the Jonathan Pollard case, the former secretary of state and highly respected national security figure George P. Shultz has written to the president asking for Pollard to be released:

January 11, 2011

The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to join with many others in urging you to consider that Jonathan Pollard has now paid a huge price for his espionage on behalf of Israel and should be released from prison.

I am impressed that the people who are best informed about the classified material he passed to Israel, former CIA Director James Woolsey and former Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee Dennis DeConcini, favor his release.

I find the letter you received from former Attorney General Michael Mukasey of the Bush administration particularly compelling.

With my respect,

Sincerely yours,

George P. Shultz

This is an extraordinary letter, because Shultz is not only a respected Republican and a strong defender of America's national security, but he served in the Reagan administration with Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, who wrote the letter that the court used to issue Pollard's sentence. Conservatives, in effect, have offered Obama all the support he might need should he be inclined to pardon Pollard.

The question remains: Will he?

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  • See Also: The original copy of George Shultz's letter to President Obama