Kerry reportedly says he will consider freeing Jonathan Pollard

[txradioguy]

Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Middle East in the first week of the new year amid a flurry of reports in the Israeli press that he has said he would consider freeing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.

Israel's Channel 10 TV station first reported Friday that Kerry offered to free Pollard as part of an exchange for the release of a fourth group of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails as peace talks resume between the two sides. The third of four groups is scheduled to be released Monday, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Pollard, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, pleaded guilty to passing national defense information to the Israeli government in 1986 and was sentenced to life in prison the following year.

The Channel 10 report added that the Israeli government believes Pollard is unlikely to be released since Kerry's statement was not approved by President Barack Obama. A source told Fox News that Pollard's release was in play, but it was unclear what price Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be asked to pay for it, or even if Netanyahu would agree to pay it.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/12/29/kerry-returns-to-israel-to-talk-with-leaders-about-peace-negotiations-amid-new/


AYFKM???   

[DumbAss Tanker]

I'm sure there are people who are so pro-Israeli here that they think Pollard should go free, but I'm not among them.  There are no friends in foreign relations, there are only allies who have goals that coincide for the time being.  Whether you think Pollard was motivated by money, adventure, religion, or loyalty to a foreign government, they're all unsatisfactory excuses and so he's a lot farther down the scale than Snowden who was at least motivated by his own cock-eyed concept of American Constitutional rights and what to do about the government's trespass on them.

[Big Dog]

Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to the Middle East in the first week of the new year amid a flurry of reports in the Israeli press that he has said he would consider freeing convicted spy Jonathan Pollard.

By what authority would the Secretary of State release a Federal prisoner, convicted and sentenced by a court of law?

I can't seem to find it my copy of the US Constitution.

[thundley4]

By what authority would the Secretary of State release a Federal prisoner, convicted and sentenced by a court of law?

I can't seem to find it my copy of the US Constitution.

Obama might have signaled Kerry that he was open to the idea of pardoning Pollard.  That would be a change from all the drug criminals he has pardoned so far.

[Eupher]

Obama might have signaled Kerry that he was open to the idea of pardoning Pollard.  That would be a change from all the drug criminals he has pardoned so far.

Correct.

John F'n Kerry doesn't take a dump without checking with Barry and if Barry's on the golf course, he checks with No. #2, who is, of course, Valerie Jarrett.

Valerie won't give him any TP, though. That's where Biden comes in.