We do not spy on US, says Israel
Monday, August 30, 2004 at 02:25PM
TheSpook
Israel's government has rejected allegations of
espionage within the Pentagon, insisting it maintains a ban on spying
in the US. Prime minister Ariel Sharon's office said Israel "does not
engage in intelligence activities in the US", in response to the
disclosure at the weekend that the FBI has spent a year investigating
whether a Pentagon analyst leaked to Israel highly classified material
concerning White House policy towards Iran. Cabinet minister Natan
Sharansky dismissed the development as a mistake or misunderstanding,
and said it could be down to "rivalry" between the Pentagon and CIA. US
officials identified the analyst as Larry Franklin, an Iran specialist
working under Douglas J Feith, a top Pentagon official with close ties
to Israel. Mr Franklin did not respond to a message left at his office.
Mr Feith is an influential aide to defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
His previous work included prewar intelligence on Iraq, including
purported ties between Saddam Hussein's regime and al-Qaida terrorism
network. [more 
]
- In the Pentagon, a suspected spy allegedly passes secrets about Iran to Israel [more]
- Alleged Israel Leak a Burden for Rumsfeld [more ]
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