Leak Offers Look at Efforts by U.S. to Spy on Israel

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

WASHINGTON — When Shamai K. Leibowitz, an F.B.I. translator, was sentenced to 20 months in prison last year for leaking classified information to a blogger, prosecutors revealed little about the case. They identified the blogger in court papers only as “Recipient A.” After Mr. Leibowitz pleaded guilty, even the judge said he did not know exactly what Mr. Leibowitz had disclosed.

“All I know is that it’s a serious case,” Judge Alexander Williams Jr., of United States District Court in Maryland, said at the sentencing in May 2010. “I don’t know what was divulged other than some documents, and how it compromised things, I have no idea.”

Now the reason for the extraordinary secrecy surrounding the Obama administration’s first prosecution for leaking information to the news media seems clear: Mr. Leibowitz, a contract Hebrew translator, passed on secret transcripts of conversations caught on F.B.I. wiretaps of the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Those overheard by the eavesdroppers included American supporters of Israel and at least one member of Congress, according to the blogger, Richard Silverstein.

In his first interview about the case, Mr. Silverstein offered a rare glimpse of American spying on a close ally.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/us/06leak.html?pagewanted=all

[FrenchieCat]

1. 20 months for spying?

is that the usual amount of time one is given? :shrug:

[cstanleytech]

2. So, let me see if I understand this. Alexander Williams Jr the judge imposed a sentence

on someone without knowing really what they did and without the evidence but merely took the word of the government that it was a serious case? Perhaps I am wrong but does this judge seem like a complete and utter tool to anyone else here?

[Grassy Knoll]

3. Matt Drudge Is like fox noise...

they quote bloggers, LOL

[oberliner]

6. Apparently so does the NY Times

That's what is cited in the OP.

[classysassy]

4. Birds of a feather

I thought Israel was our friend and neither country would spy on each other.Sarcasm.

[No Elephants]

5. IOW, our Judicial Branch has totally abdicated to the Executive Branch.

Nothing to worry about.