Bigger than AIPAC

Interesting analysis of the recent indictment of “former” AIPAC officals

by Robert Dreyfuss at tompaine.com
August 09, 2005

Important new details of the U.S.-Israeli espionage case involving Larry Franklin, the alleged Pentagon spy, two officials of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, and an intelligence official at the Embassy of Israel emerged last week. Two AIPAC officials—who have left the organization—were indicted along with Franklin on charges of “communicat[ing] national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it.” In plain English, if not legal-speak, that means spying.

But as the full text of the indictment makes clear, the conspiracy involved not just Franklin and the AIPAC officials, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, but at least several other Pentagon officials who played intermediary roles, at least two other Israeli officials, and one official at a “Washington, D.C. think tank.” It’s an old-fashioned spy story involving the passing of secret documents, hush-hush meetings and outright espionage, along with good-old-boy networking.

But the network tied to the “Franklin case”—which ought to be called the “AIPAC case,” since it was AIPAC that was really under investigation by the FBI—provides an important window into a shadowy world. It is clear that by probing the details of the case, the FBI has got hold of a dangerous loose end of much larger story. By pulling on that string hard enough, the FBI and the Justice Department might just unravel that larger story, which is beginning to look more and more like it involves the same nexus of Pentagon civilians, White House functionaries, and American Enterprise Institute officials who thumped the drums for war in Iraq in 2001-2003 and who are now trying to whip up an anti-Iranian frenzy as well.

Needless to say, all of this got short shrift from the mainstream media when it was revealed last week.

The basic facts of the case have been known for a while. Lawrence Anthony Franklin, a Department of Defense official, was caught red-handed giving highly classified papers to two officials, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, of AIPAC—in part, concerning U.S. policy toward the Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq and the war on terrorism. But from the carefully worded indictment, it is clear that a lot more may have been going on. All in all, along with revealing tantalizing new information, the indictment raises more questions than it answers. To wit:

First, the indictment says that from “about April 1999 and continuing until on or about August 27, 2004” Franklin, Rosen and Weissman “did unlawfully, knowingly and willfully conspire” in criminal activity against the United States. So far, no one has explained what triggered an investigation that began more than six years ago. But it reveals how long the three indicted conspirators and “others, known and unknown to the Grand Jury,” engaged in such criminal activity. In any case, what appeared at first to be a brief dalliance between Franklin and the two AIPAC officials now—according to the latest indictment, at least—spans more than five years and involves at least several other individuals, at least some of whom are known to the investigation. What triggered the investigation in 1999, and how much information has FBI surveillance, wiretaps and other investigative efforts collected?

Second, the indictment makes it absolutely clear that the investigation was aimed at AIPAC, not at Franklin. The document charges that Rosen and Weissman met repeatedly with officials from a foreign government (Israel, though not named in the indictment) beginning in 1999, to provide them with classified information. In other words, the FBI was looking into the Israel lobby, not Franklin and the Defense Department, at the start, and Franklin was simply caught up in the net when he made contact with the AIPACers. Rosen and Weissman were observed making illicit contact with several other U.S. officials between 1999 and 2004, although those officials are left unnamed (and unindicted). Might there be more to come? Who are these officials, cited merely as United States Government Official 1, USGO 2, etc.?

Third, Franklin was introduced to Rosen-Weissman when the two AIPACers “called a Department of Defense employee (DOD employee A) at the Pentagon and asked for the name of someone in OSD ISA [Office of the Secretary of Defense, International Security Affairs] with an expertise on Iran” and got Franklin’s name. Who was “DOD employee A”? Was it Douglas Feith, the undersecretary for policy? Harold Rhode, the ghost-like neocon official who helped Feith assemble the secretive Office of Special Plans, where Franklin worked? The indictment doesn’t say. But this reporter observed Franklin, Rhode and Michael Rubin, a former AEI official who served in the Pentagon during this period and then returned to AEI, sitting together side by side, often in the front row, at American Enterprise Institute meetings during 2002-2003. Later in the indictment, we learn that Franklin, Rosen and Weissman hobnobbed with “DOD employee B,” too.

Fourth, Rosen and Weissman told Franklin that they would try to get him a job at the White House, on the National Security Council staff. Who did they talk to at the White House, if they followed through? What happened?

Fifth, the charging document refers to “Foreign Official 1,” also known as FO-1, obviously referring to an Israeli embassy official or an Israeli intelligence officer. It also refers later to FO-2, FO-3, etc., meaning that other Israeli officials were involved as well. How many Israeli officials are implicated in this, and who are they?

Sixth, was AEI itself involved? The indictment says that “on or about March 13, 2003, Rosen disclosed to a senior fellow at a Washington, D.C., think tank the information relating to the classified draft internal policy document” about Iran. The indictment says that the think tank official agreed “to follow up and see what he could do.” Which think tank, and who was involved?

The indictment is rich with other detail, including specific instances in which the indicted parties lied to the FBI about their activities. It describes how Franklin eventually set up a regular liaison with an Israeli official (“FO-3”) and met him in Virginia “and elsewhere” to communicate U.S. secrets.

It is an important story, arguably one that has greater implications for national security than the scandal involving the churlish outing of undercover CIA operative Valerie Plame. So far, at least, the media frenzy attending to the Plame affair is matched by nearly total silence about the Franklin-AIPAC affair? Can it be true that reporters are more courageous about pursuing a story that involves the White House than they are about plunging into a scandal that involves Israel, our No. 1 Middle East ally?

See our last post on AIPAC and on AIPAC’s influence

  1. Lies, spies, and ZIONIST ties
    Who owns & operates the media — that is why these stories are buried or never pursued. How do you distract from the biggest story since 911 ? You manufacture other stories (such as Cindy Sheehan) to suck up air time. Anytime Michael Moore is involved you should be aware that ZION spinning is going on. They thrive on controlling all sides of an issue.

    1. What do the following have in common: Clinton, Condit, Mc Greevy and 4 star general Byrnes ???

    2. What do the following have in common: Lewinsky, Levy, and Cippel ???

    the answer to #1 is: They were all duped into a MOSSAD honey trap.

    the answer to #2 is: They are all MOSSAD agents and all happen to be self identified practicers of judaism. Only 1.9% of the US population identifies themselves as practicing judasim. This is beyond coincidence. What about all the school shooters ??? Thank goodness they removed this COMPROMISED 4 star general from his post. There are still some patriots left in the FBI, CIA, and DIA that have not been deluded / fooled by the ZION lies.

    DONT LET THE ZION MEDIA SHILLS / WHORES distract from the reality that the MOSSAD has been trying to deceive our nation into fighting israels enemies for some time — including their complicity in 911. PURGE THE ZION TRAITORS including the scumbags FRANKLIN, ROSEN, and WEISSMAN.

    Don’t believe the ZION lies about BUSH. They are attempting to take down another president.

    FYI — another ZION shill was indicted yesterday — Abramoff. Looking forward to the next shill indictment of SAYANIM NOVAK.

    ZIONISTS are ANTI 1st amendment and ANTI 2nd amendment and they are also ANTI AMERICAN.

    The #1 terrorist / spy organization in the USA continues to operate openly in Washington DC — its called AIPAC.

    Imagine this: In the middle of our ‘war on terror,’ a foreign government (Israel) has spies who have infiltrated the highest levels of the Department of Defense.

    Larry Franklin, Rosen, Weissman and the AXIS of ADL, AIPAC, and ISRAELI TRAITORS / ESPIONAGE — all indicted.

    ZIONIST Douglas Feith (the architect of the IRAQ war and the boss of indicted spy Larry Franklin) resigned August 9th, 2005 and has fled the country. This story was also buried.

    Who owns the MEDIA, the VOTE COUNTING MACHINES, the MILITARY, the POLITICIANS, the FEDERAL RESERVE ??? Research it to get ENLIGHTENED.

    The sudden use of “HOMELAND

    1. This is the best yet
      Cindy Sheehan is a black-op distraction, Monica Lewinsky was a Mossad agent, McGreevey must have been a Jewish dupe because he was gay (I assume you mean the ex-NJ governor, no?—or do you mean the Navy SEAL who was just killed in Afghanistan, which would be even more charming?). This is pretty good, it goes way beyond the usual Jews-control-the-media spew. I especially love how someone with the worst case of upper-case fetishism I have ever seen makes certain to put “judaism” in the lower case. Just delightful.

      So, are all you supposed lefties who think this AIPAC stuff is so earth-shaking (note implicit Jew-baiting in final paragraph of the Dreyfuss story) going to take any responsibility for the noxious flies your rhetoric attracts?

      1. Bill the Zionist Shill
        Bill,

        Thank you proving the points in my post — your an excellent classroom specimen. Religion is IRRELEVANT to any of the issues presented in my post.

        First and foremost — there is no mention at all in my post about a “jewish dupe”. You shills ALWAYS use this tactic to distract from the truth.

        Second, the Mc Greevy I mention is indeed the New Jersey governor who was scammed by a self identified practioner of judaism — who subsequently fled to the criminal haven called israel. The list of thieves, child rapists, and murderers who have fled to the criminal haven called israel (being harbored under the guise of religion) is too numerous to list here, but I will if Bill is insistent on playing the role of a shill. This agent / scammer Cippel was also responsible for new jersey’s ‘homeland security’ until he was EXPOSED for the TRAITOR that he is. Refer to my post about the implications of the word ‘homeland’.

        Third, another distraction you shills use is name calling — another useless distraction. POLITICS is IRRELEVANT to the issues presented in my post and your distraction calling people “lefties” further highlights how you shills (see my post above for comments on M. Moore) use this as a DISTRACTION from the TRUTH.

        Fourth, AIPAC is an employer of spies as evidenced by the indictments of their former employees who were engaging in espionage while working for AIPAC.

        The #1 terrorist / spy organization in the USA continues to operate openly in Washington DC — its called AIPAC.

        The #2 terrorist / spy organization in the USA continues to operate openly in Pittsburgh PA — its called ADL.

        The laser that is presently indicting the spies at AIPAC will soon be turned on ADL. “Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?”

        “No one censors speech they agree with”

        1. I appeal to the readers
          You see, this is the inherent problem with bloggery and open posting. Do I just let my website turn into a forum for Nazi scum, or do I delete this noise, and then be accused of censorship?

          Would anyone care to weigh in on this dilemma?

          1. It is your blog
            Bill,

            I say you censor as you see fit — all propagandists do this. See my posts above yours. You clearly are not interested in having a discussion about AIPAC and widespread Israeli spying or you would have addressed the many valid and beyond coincidence points that were made in my posts.

            As for your ridiculous, presumptuos, and untrue insults — they speak for themselves.

            World War III is already here. This very early phase has been a war for your minds and most of you have LOST IT.

            It is that big elephant in the corner — it is the zionists stupid. They profit and thrive off your confusion. Read my posts above or do your own research to get ENLIGHTENED.

            “No one censors speech they agree with.”

            1. Thanks for the enlightenment, now learn how to spell
              Oh, poor baby. I posted your comment. Now you don’t get to complain about being censored.

              But you’re right, my insults are ridiculous and “presumptuos” (sic). If I had your standards of discourse, I would have put NAZI SCUM in the upper case.

              1. Thanks again
                Bill,

                Thanks again for proving my points regarding your low level of discourse. You shills like to keep it on the lowest level — it works well for you and DISTRACTORS like you.

                Your silly name calling and silly spelling critiques just further highlight your agenda. Keep your EYES WIDE SHUT Bill it seems to work for you.

                For the rest of you, OPEN YOUR EYES TO THE ZION LIES. Read my posts above. Stay out of the mud — thats where the shills hang out.

                Thanks again.

                “No one censors speech they agree with”

                1. You’re welcome
                  I hereby swear off silly name-calling. From now on only smart name-calling.

                  SPIES

                  ZION MEDIA SHILLS / WHORES

                  ISRAELI TRAITORS

                  ZIONIST

                  ZIONIST SHILL

                  TRAITOR

                  DISTRACTORS

                  ZION LIES

                  “No one calls name-calling they agree with ‘name-calling'”

          2. readers vs. writers
            So, are all you supposed lefties who think this AIPAC stuff is so earth-shaking (note implicit Jew-baiting in final paragraph of the Dreyfuss story) going to take any responsibility for the noxious flies your rhetoric attracts?

            You see, this is the inherent problem with bloggery and open posting. Do I just let my website turn into a forum for Nazi scum, or do I delete this noise, and then be accused of censorship?

            Reading these two appeals together, I note an interesting thing. Open comments invite trolls, and you’d rather that writers “take responsibility for the noxious flies”, which means what? not talking about AIPAC? Pretending it doesn’t matter to keep the trolls away? Include a disclaimer? bullet proof the rhetoric by qualifying every sentence until the writing becomes unreadable just so that no troll could possibly misunderstand it (a futile quest anyway)?

            What is more important? The trolls, or our own honesty? What is more disturbing to you, to “”censor” trolls or to censor ourselves so that we don’t attract trolls? Should we fashion our rhetoric to fit the trolls, or should we fashion it to converse with each other?

            Yes, I’m against open comments. I think conversations without ground rules are pointless. I think it is the job of the editor or editing body to establish and enforce ground rules and exclude those who refuse or can’t live with them.

            And by the way, I take offense at the “supposed lefties”. I am a leftist, i.e. I analyse society based on class conflict. When I see splits in the elites, I think it is both intellectually important and potentially actionnable. If you disagree with an analysis, you’re welcome to argue to the matter instead of attacking the “authenticity” of the speaker. Maybe it’s hard for your ego to accept it, but yours isn’t the only valuable perspective.

            1. Telling trolls
              I am nearly convinced of the inadvisability of open comments myself at this point, tho I am willing to stick with it for the moment. Our general ground rule has been that a post has to have political content (however vulgar), and I have so far refrained from axing any posts that do. I don’t want to establish parameters for a “legitimate” spectrum of debate. I keep hoping that most of our readers fall within those parameters anyway, and sooner or later the wingnuts will be isolated. And I keep getting disappointed, which really makes me wonder who the hell we are doing this project for. Or is it just that wingnuts have a greater propensity to post?

              I am all for analyzing splits within the elites, and if that was how the issue was presented I would have no problem with it. Instead, it is too often presented in terms of American sovereignty being undermined by sinister foreigners: always Semites (Israel for the Judeophobes, the Saudis for the Arabophobes). When you have a (yes) supposed lefty like Alex Cockburn talking about “Vichy Congress” and “occupied Washington” (actually one “George Sunderland”, but given top billing in Cockburn’s Counterpunch), it is clear that this grave error and essentially right-wing position has become the dominant one on the supposed “left.” And nobody is talking about that. Anyone who dares bring it up is relentlessly Zionist-baited, as I was on this blog not too long ago. Have you noticed how the popular anti-war websites (Counterpunch, Antiwar) have become breeding grounds for this slimy little cross-fertilization between the supposed “left” and xenophobe right? So I thought our friend Mr. Dagger’s remarks were particularly telling. It would be far easier for me to dismiss him as “just” a wingnut.

              1. High and Mighty Liars Are Still Liars
                You wrote: Our general ground rule has been that a post has to have political content (however vulgar), and I have so far refrained from axing any posts that do.

                Your high and mighty lies do not change the fact they are lies. Keep censoring — all good propagandists do it. You sound like Tariq Aziz telling lies to the end as the ship went down. The sinking ship you are hagning onto is zionism.

                The check is in the mail right? LOL

                “No one censors speech they agree with”

      2. what implicit Jew-baiting
        (note implicit Jew-baiting in final paragraph of the Dreyfuss story)

        I don’t see any Jew-baiting. You remind me of Woody Allen in “Annie Hall” hearing “Jew see?” instead of “did you see?” Relax. Nobody’s after you (except trolls).

        1. Even paranoids have enemies
          Given that you refrained from punctuation in your subject line, I’d like to think you meant “What implicit Jew-baiting!” rather than “What implicit Jew-baiting?”

          And the line was “I haven’t had lunch yet. Jew?”

          1. WHO BROKE THE LEVEE ?
            Mere coincidences — doubtful. Like the owners and operators of the WTC — the operators of the LEVEE system in New Orleans were ZIONISTS.

            ZIONISTS are ANTI 1st amendment and ANTI 2nd amendment and they are also ANTI AMERICAN, as evidenced by their actions and speech.

            The child raping, robbing, and murdering JUDEO MASONICS / ZIONISTS are NOT religious — they hide under the guise of RELIGION to fool you. Ever hear of wolves in sheeps clothing?

            ALL PEOPLE ARE EQUAL — do not forget it.

            WHO BROKE THE LEVEE INTENTIONALLY ?

            There is nothing “natural

            1. WHO BROKE OUR MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR PUBLISHED COMMENTS?
              You did, sucker. You have more than had your say (nobody has deleted any of your posts), and you seem to be successfully posting identical crap on blogs that will tolerate you—so have a nice life. From now on, comments that are full of Nazi propaganda and TIRESOME / JUVENILE USE OF THE UPPER CASE FOR EMPHASIS will be rejected for publication. Your dagger has hereby been officially disabled on this blog.

              “One man’s censorship is another’s editorial policy.”

  2. What have I censored?
    You can’t produce evidence that I censored anything. Because I haven’t.

    first class propagandist

    fellow shills

    brainwashed slave

    delusional minds

    I’m glad there’s no “name-calling” going on here.

    1. “Evidence” of Israeli Spying Against the USA is Widespread
      You wrote: You can’t produce evidence that I censored anything.

      Your quite amusing Bill, as if you care about evidence.

      In your delusional myopia, did you and the “trolls” ever consider consider that you are the ones being observed? /@@

      For those interested in stepping out of the darkness, below are a handful of the many sources available (do your own research there is plenty of “EVIDENCE”) documenting the nefarious activity of israeli spies against the USA and its allies.

      This early phase of WW3 is a war for your minds and many of you have LOST it. Its that big elephant in the corner — its the zionists stupid.

      My next post (if it is not censored) will be on the child raping, thieving, and murdering criminal cowards around the world who have fled (under the guise of religion) to the criminal haven hidey hole called israel.

      Israeli spy caught using Canadian passport
      Link: http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2004/08/04/israel_passport040804.html

      Long History: Israeli Espionage Against the US
      Link: http://www.counterpunch.org/husseini08302004.html

      The Latest Israeli Spy Scandal
      Link: http://www.ericmargolis.com/archives/2004/09/connect_the_dot.php

      Israeli Spies Held by U.S.
      Link: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1212-06.htm

      Israeli Spies Lived In Florida
      Link: http://www.desert-voice.net/israeli_spies.htm

      New Israeli Spy Investigation Suppressed at Crucial Juncture
      Link: http://www.wrmea.com/archives/November_2004/0411026.html

      New Zealand cut off diplomatic contact with Israel after two Mossad agents falsely tried to obtain New Zealand passports with muslim names
      Link: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2005/2/21/235826/884

      Massive Israeli Spy Ring
      Link: http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/spyring.html

      U.S. Police and Intelligence Hit by Spy Network
      Link: http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2001/12/18/224826.shtml

      DEA Report Exposes Israeli Spies
      Link: http://alternet.org/story/12928/

      ‘Mossad spies’ jailed over New Zealand passport fraud
      Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1262362,00.html

      Lowlights of Israeli Espionage
      Link: http://www.rense.com/Datapages/Israeldata.html

      Israeli spies using Honeypot methods in Australia
      Link: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2005/2/21/235826/884

      Jonathan Pollards connections to Pentagon
      Link: http://www.serendipity.li/wot/wilson01.htm

      Israeli Spying: The Mother of all Scandals
      Link: http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/motherofallscandals.html

      British unmask Israeli spy units
      Link: http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/module/displaystory

      Israeli spies in US abet global drug trade
      Link: http://www.the7thfire.com/new_world_order/zionism/mossad

      Mossad’s checkered past
      Link: http://www.jewwatch.com/jew-terrorists-mossad.html

      History of Israel aggression towards the USA
      Link: http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2005/02/310503.shtml

      Five Israelis were seen filming and celebrating as jet liners ploughed into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001
      Link: http://www.sundayherald.com/37707

      The Israeli spies and the “art student” mystery
      Link: http://newsmine.org/archive/9-11/questions/israelis/israeli-art-students.txt

      “No one censors what they agree with”

      1. Non-sequitor
        The “evidence” I asked for was to corroborate your accusation that I am censoring posts on this blog, and since you can’t provide any you just change the subject. I can do a Google search for “Israeli spies” too, Sherlock.

        1. Plenty of Shills to go around
          All the items you listed were not name calling — they are factual observations. /@@

          As a matter of record — your ‘nazi’ comment is particularly telling. A deliberate attempt to minimize my comments or just evidence of your brainwashing (let the readers be the judge)? The facts are that 93% of the USA public DOES NOT support continued funding for israel — per a poll done by Lou Dobbs and later buried in the ZION media memory hole. Additionally, a majority of the US populous DOES NOT believe the lies the ZION media has told them regarding 911.

          Who owns / operates the USA brainwashing /media machine ? It’s the zionists stupid.

          Fact — only 1.9% of the US populous identifies themselves as practicing judaism — yet nearly all public opinion in the USA is driven by a ZIONIST controlled media.

          This zionist controlled media and the related ZIONIST media minions / shills are the ones to blame for the lack of coverage of the nuclear terror drills and the widespread israeli spying activity in the USA.

          Why must I go on the net to get insight and analysis of the AIPAC scandal? Its because of the zionists stupid. It is also why issues relating to israeli spying activity is given scant coverage or never pursued.

          Stick with the mainstream obfuscators ‘bill’ you fit right in with them. People seek the truth that is why they are turning to the net. Shills are not needed on the net — there are plenty of them in the mainstream media.

          The ZIONISTS are rabidly ANTI 1st amendment and ANTI AMERICAN, as evidenced by the ludicrous and disinformative reports coming from the media empires they own. They seek to create confusion because its easier to control you that way.

          See the link below and / or do your own research on media ownership / operation.

          http://www.pushhamburger.com/who_rules.htm