Pollard blasts former handler

JTA - April 10, 2006

Jonathan Pollard decried the election of his former Israeli intelligence handler to the Knesset. The former U.S. Navy analyst, who is serving a life sentence in prison for passing Israel classified documents in the 1980s, was on Sunday quoted by Maariv as saying that the success of retired spymaster Rafi Eitan in the recent general elections was a provocation to the United States.

In my worst nightmares I never imagined that my people would be so indifferent to the precept of liberating prisoners as to bring to power my former commander the man who betrayed me and abandoned me for 21 years, Pollard said.

Eitan, who now leads the Pensioners Party, recruited Pollard while heading the Israeli scientific espionage unit Lakam.

He has vowed to lobby for Pollard to receive clemency.

Pollard alleged that Eitan has the sole surviving copy of a document that could be used as a bargaining chip for his release from prison, but did not elaborate.