US may release Israeli spy Pollard from prison soon: report

The Obama administration is preparing to release convicted Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard in a move to smooth its ties with Israel which is strongly against the Iranian nuclear deal, according to a US media report Friday. Some US officials have been pushing for Pollard's release within weeks or months, considering his date of parole in November as a possible date for release, the Wall Street Journal reported on its website. Pollard, an American citizen and former civilian analyst of the US Navy, was arrested in November 1985 and later sentenced to life imprisonment for spying for Israel, in a sensational case which has often divided the two allies. Pollard supporters argue that the punishment was overly harsh given the fact that the country he spied for was a US ally, while Israel has also been strongly lobbying Washington for his early release. The US Justice Department insisted on Friday that "Pollard should serve his full sentence for the serious crimes he committed, in which case is a 30-year sentence as mandated by statute." Pollard, 60, is reportedly suffering from bad health in prison in North Carolina, and will be eligible for parole in November on the 30th anniversary of his arrest. He could win early release unless the US Parole Commission denies it on reasons that he has a record of bad behavior in prison or is likely to commit new crimes. The White House on Friday denied any linkage between the Pollard case and the rising tension in the US-Israeli ties caused by the Iranian deal, reached by Iran and the US-led six major nations last week. Israel has blasted the Iranian deal as a "historical mistake", saying easing economic sanctions on Iran could allow the Islamic state to provide funding to anti-Israel groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The White House also denied any linkage between the Pollard case and the Iranian deal. "Mr. Pollard's status will be determined by the US Parole Commission according to standard procedures," said National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey. "There is absolutely zero linkage between Mr. Pollard's status and foreign policy considerations," he added.