There are several problems regarding Pollard’s situation.
The first and perhaps most important is that no one here — not I, not you, nor anyone else, knows exactly what was handed over and how far afield the information went. Just because it went to his Israeli handlers does not mean that the information did not go any further to other possibly unfriendly countries. Of course, no one here also knows that it didn’t. As a result, none of us are qualified to say that he got a sentence that is too harsh, or too lenient. None of us know if he really should be a free man or sitting in jail for the rest of his life. None of us know the true magnitude of his crime. It could be that his sentence was disproportionate, but none of us *really* know.
The second issue that has to be made is that there is a difference between a pardon and a commutation. While I might be able to support a commutation (you *can* make the case that he was railroaded at the sentencing), I don’t think you can plausibly make the case for a pardon. When all is said and done, no one denies the fact that he *did* commit a felony and pleaded guilty to the same. Even if he’s allowed to walk out of prison today, he should still have a criminal record.
The Wolf