3/19/01 Possibility That Israel Officials to Ask for Release

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE MEMO

TO: President George W. Bush

cc: Vice President Richard Cheney Honorable Colin Powell Honorable Condoleezza Rice

DATE: March 16, 2001

SUBJECT: JONATHAN JAY POLLARD - SPY

Representatives of the Israeli government are coming to Washington DC to meet withy you.

It is possible that in the meeting you will be asked to take action to free Pollard. Visits from Israelis have frequently included such requests. Indeed it tends to happen repeatedly during the course of an Administration.

Any step to free Pollard would be enormously damaging to our efforts to keep spies out of our government. As you may recall, George Tenet, to his credit, told President Clinton he would resign if Pollard were freed. I suspect he would feel the same today, and tha[ there would be a number of others concerned about espionage who would feel the same.

My suggestion would be to come on very forcefully and say not no, but definitely no -I no today, tomorrow and the next day, and that it is not a matter that you would consider during your administration. The advantage of being forceful the first time they visit the subject is that it might set them back on their heels and give them pause about bringing the subject up to you ever again. And, more important, it might also give them pause ~ about trying to organize support in the United States to put political pressure on you for such an action, which you don’t need.

I have attached a copy of a letter that 1 drafted and which I got seven other former Secretaries of Defense to sign to President Clinton opposing such an action, back in 1998.

DHR/azn 03 1500.0 1 Attach. WOO298 i 4 .0 3. WED 16 18 FA'

December 10, 1998

The Honorable William J. Clinton The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20500 Subject: Jonathan Pollard

Dear Mr. President:

The press has reported that you are consulting with members of your administration and others on the issue of whether or not to grant clemency to the convicted spy Mr. Jonathan Pollard.

This letter, from the seven former U.S. Secretaries of Defense listed below, is to urge that Mr. Pollard nor be granted clemency. As you know, espionage against the United States in this post-Cold War world continues unabated and is seriously damaging the interests of our country. Notwithstanding our strong support for Israel, we believe that granting clemency to Mr. Pollard would encourage those who would harm our country.

While it is understandable that the Israeli government would urge a review of this mtter, we believe that it would be exceedingly harmful to the interests of the United States of America for you to agree to that request.

Sincerely,

Donald Rumsfcld

Former U.S. Secretaries of Defense signing the above letter: Frank C. Carlucci Richard B. Cheney Melvin R. Laird Elliot L. Richardson Donald W. Rumsfeld James R. Schlesinger Caspar W. Weinberger