Capturing Jonathan Pollard: How One of the Most Notorious Spies in American History Was Brought to Justice

by Ronald J. Olive

Jonathan Jay Pollard, an intelligence analyst working in the U.S. Naval Investigative Service’s Anti-Terrorist Alert Center, systematically stole highly sensitive security secrets from almost every major intelligence-gathering agency in the United States. Over the course of eighteen months in the mid 1980s, he took and subsequently sold to Israel more than one million pages of classified material, enough to fill a six-by-ten-foot room stacked six feet high. No other spy in the history of the United States has stolen so many secrets, so highly classified, in such a short period of time. Ronald J. Olive, the author of this book was the assistant special agent in charge of counterintelligence in the Washington office of the Naval Investigative Service who led the whirlwind investigation against Pollard. Olive interrogated Pollard and garnered the confession that led to his arrest in November 1985 and eventual life sentence. During the twenty plus years that Pollard has spent in prison, many questions have arisen about the case because it never went to trial and so much information surrounding it remains classified. Most of the books and articles that have been written about Pollard denounce his life sentence as unjust. This book tells the other side of the story. It is an account from deep inside the espionage investigation that gives details of Pollard’s confession immediately following his arrest and describes Pollard’s interaction with the author before and during the time suspicion about his activities was mounting. Revealed are countless other details that have never before been made public. Calling the Pollard story an extreme case of a counterintelligence failure, Olive writes that mistaken assumptions and leadership failures enabled Pollard to ransack America’s defense intelligence long after he should have been fired. The author hopes the vital insights his book offers will serve as a lesson in history and prevent similar problems in the future and provide an antidote to the uncertainty that has fueled speculation, rumor, and lies surrounding the Pollard case.

Genres: Nonfiction, Espionage, History

299 pages, Hardcover

First published August 11, 2006

Reviews

[Lobstergirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

A competent look at the Jonathan Pollard case from one of the NCIS investigators. It's impossible for a book like this to delve deeply into the extent of the damage Pollard's spying did, because most of it remains classified. But it's clear that even when someone spies for an ally, such as Israel, huge damage can be done, because the United States' foreign policy interests are not identical to Israel's (e.g., we also need to maintain good diplomatic relations with Arab and Muslim nations), and because when an ally like Israel gets ahold of our classified intelligence, we have lost control over it, and they can then use it for their own purposes, as they allegedly did as a bartering chip with the Soviet Union for an exchange of Russian Jews.

There was a huge hue and cry in pro-Pollard circles when Pollard was given a life sentence, because the government had agreed pre-trial not to ask for one. Pollard fans claimed the government had lied. As the book explains, this was not the case; prosecutors did not ask for a life sentence, but the judge was convinced enough by the seriousness of Pollard's crime that he handed down that punishment. Pollard immediately began a public relations campaign, employing high profile lawyers like Alan Dershowitz and Ted Olson to try to gain his freedom. He refused to apply for parole because this entails an admission of guilt, and Pollard and his wife Anne (sentenced to five years) were unrepentant. Pollard became an Israeli citizen and conservative factions within Israel, including Benjamin Netanyahu, have unsuccessfully lobbied American presidents for his release.

The book details the many red flags that should have warned Pollard's colleagues and supervisors that he could not be trusted with classified information. He was a congential liar, several times fabricating stories that his wife Anne had been kidnapped. He and Anne used cocaine and spent money far in excess of their small salaries. He often worked late and on weekends. He had not been hired by the CIA because their background investigation uncovered unsavory facts, but this was never communicated to the Navy. He failed the Navy's own polygraph exam early in his career. And if anyone had bothered to check what documents he was (legally) removing from classified files and then returning, both the enormous volume and the fact that they had nothing to do with his assigned geographical area would have been a tip-off. But it took 18 months for a colleague to notice Pollard leaving work with unauthorized documents, and for that colleague's suspicion to be taken seriously by higher-ups. Since the case, the Navy division Pollard worked for has implemented more stringent security measures.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good and quick read on one of the most notorious spies of the last 20-30 years. A good read for Naval Intelligence professionals.

[Kurt Reichenbaugh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me several years ago and I finally got around to reading it. Interesting, if a bit melodramatic, account of events that occurred in the 80s when Jonathan Pollard was selling secrets to Israeli spies. I was in the Air Force when this was going on and I have zero memory of it. I had no memory of Jonathon Pollard's name from back then. Pollard was a kook. It's astounding that a guy like him had access to such sensitive and secret info. It isn't a particularly flattering depiction of U.S. intelligence screening processes at the time. Shows, yet again, how someone can just bullshit their way through life while the rest of us play by the rules.

[Sally Fouhse · Rating 3 out of 5]

How did I miss all this? I was a young adult when this happened, but I barely remember Pollard's name. What a creep. The main takeaway I have from this book is how bumbling and incompetent all these federal agencies are. So many red flags, yet this guy was able to carry out his subterfuge right under the nose of US agents. And on behalf of Israel, supposedly our friend. Unbelievable that he was not caught sooner. All the lies told by the Israelis. And the fumbling by our own law enforcement agents. It's all rather depressing.

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feels like a good summary of the facts. Weird story about a weird person. Author is quite anti-Pollard. Still an interesting read.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Wow! If Pollard hadn't of been caught when he was, what knows how many more documents would have ended up in the wrong hands.

[Craig Schlossin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable and interesting.

[Peter L · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Jonathan Pollard Spy Affair: American Who Spied for Israel

Perhaps this book should be subtitled "The Sloppy Spy" for he handled piles of secret info that although carelessly handled he turned over to a foreign nation. The way he was caught was accidental, but once exposed the 2nd half of this book deals with aftermath & efforts to be released. Interesting to read a fact filled account of an arrogant, sloppy spy.

[Foxglove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, learned a lot and useful but very dry

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and well written book on the Pollard case from the perspective of the investigative special agent on the case.