Prime Minister Sharons Office issued a statement today rejecting the possibility that an Israeli spy had infiltrated the Pentagon and passed on classified intelligence information via AIPAC, a pro-Israel lobby group in Washington. The statement came in response to a Friday evening report made by the American television network CBS that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched a probe into the matter. Claims include that the alleged mole influenced U.S. policy towards Iran and Iraq.

According to several sources in a Washington Post article today, the spy is alleged to be Larry Franklin, a desk official in the Near East and South Asia Bureau of the Defense Department. According to the article in the Washington Post, the unnamed sources said Franklin changed positions three years ago to the Pentagon’s policy branch, prior to which he worked with the Defense Intelligence Agency.

The New York Times reported that the analyst worked for Douglas J. Feith, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, who was responsible for the formation of a special intelligence unit before the Iraq war that sought to build the case that Baghdad had ties to Al-Qaida. Analysts are concerned that the case could bolster fringe voices claiming that Israel was behind the US invasion of Iraq.

U.S. Attorney General Donald Rumsfeld has stated that Franklin was not at a high enough level in order to influence President Bush in matters of foreign policy.

Knesset Member Yuval Steinitz, Head of External Affairs and Security, said today, “Speaking as someone who is completely responsible for the supervision of Israel’s secret services, this did not happen and never will. There are no spies in the Pentagon and not in the United States.”

The Israeli embassy in Washington has issued a statement declaring the allegations “completely false and outrageous.”

AIPAC has also issued a statement denying any involvement in espionage. AIPAC officials said: AIPAC is an American organization comprised of proud and loyal American citizens committed to promoting American interests. Any allegation of criminal conduct by the organization or its employees is baseless and false We take our responsibilities as American citizens seriously. We would not condone or tolerate for a second any violation of U.S. law or interests. We are fully cooperating with the governmental authorities and will continue to do so.

Meanwhile, the FBI has stated that arrests could be handed down as early as next week in the matter.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 29th, 2004 and is filed under news.