U.S. to Press Israel-Linked Spy Probe, White House Says

The White House, saying that any espionage against the United States is “extremely serious,” declared Monday that the Justice Department will continue to investigate “with great vigor” charges of spying against former Navy intelligence analyst Jonathan Jay Pollard.

In its first public comment on the case since reports surfaced linking Pollard to a wider espionage ring sponsored by the Israeli government, the White House said that it has been promised “full cooperation” by the government of Israel.

‘Full Enforcement’

“The State Department is working closely with Justice to ensure full enforcement,” White House spokesman Edward Djerejian said in a statement that seemed to signal the Administration’s intention to take the case beyond Pollard if developments merit further action.

Israeli officials initially dismissed the spying allegations against Pollard and his wife, Anne Henderson-Pollard, then said he had worked for a “renegade” Israeli security operation. Pollard allegedly passed secret U.S. military documents to Israeli officials in Washington last November. His wife was later charged with possessing classified national security documents.

But new evidence of a broader espionage effort came to light last week, provided in part by Pollard during negotiations with Justice Department prosecutors over a possible plea bargain. A decision on the plea bargain is expected this week, possibly as early as Wednesday.

The Israeli response to the latest disclosures was made in a statement Saturday in which the government again denied any knowledge of an officially sanctioned espionage ring operating in the United States.

When asked if the Administration is satisfied that the Israelis are providing “total cooperation,” Djerejian replied that the Administration is “in touch with them and they are cooperating with us.” He added: “I can’t characterize it any further than that.”

An American team headed by the State Department’s legal counsel traveled to Israel last December to investigate Israel’s role in the Pollard case. After the team’s mid-December return to the United States, the State Department said that Israel had fully cooperated with the investigation and told the Americans that the Pollard operation had been conducted “without authority” from their government.

The inquiry panel said then that no grounds to prosecute anyone other than the Pollards had been found. In recent days, however, sources have speculated that charges are likely to be filed against at least one other person in the spy probe, in which several leads are being pursued.