Larry Franklin
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Anthony Franklin is a former U.S. Air Force Reserve
colonel
who has pleaded guilty to passing information about U.S. policy towards Iran
to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), the foremost pro-Israel lobbying organization in the U.S, while he was working for the Defense Department. He claims this was an attempt to get the information to the United States National Security Council
, which he was not able to do through regular Pentagon
channels. Two former employees of AIPAC (Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman) also faced charges (that would later be dropped) that they assisted him in the AIPAC espionage scandal
and passing classified national defense information to an Israeli diplomat Naor Gilon
. On January 20, 2006, Judge T.S. Ellis, III sentenced Franklin to 151 months (almost 13 years) in prison
and fined him $10,000 which Ellis later reduced to probation with ten months house arrest
. The case was heard in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
. Ultimately, Franklin was charged with unauthorized disclosure of classified information, not with espionage.
which was set up by Donald Rumsfeld
. The office was led by Douglas Feith
. Under Feith's authorization, Lawrence Franklin met with Iran-Contra figures; critics allege they discussed Iraq intelligence, while supporters say they discussed only the War on Terrorism
.
Air Force Reserve Command
The Air Force Reserve Command is a major command of the U.S. Air Force with its headquarters at Robins AFB, Georgia.It stood up as a major command of the Air Force on 17 February 1997....
colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
who has pleaded guilty to passing information about U.S. policy towards Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a lobbying group that advocates pro-Israel policies to the Congress and Executive Branch of the United States...
(AIPAC), the foremost pro-Israel lobbying organization in the U.S, while he was working for the Defense Department. He claims this was an attempt to get the information to the United States National Security Council
United States National Security Council
The White House National Security Council in the United States is the principal forum used by the President of the United States for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and Cabinet officials and is part of the Executive Office of the...
, which he was not able to do through regular Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
channels. Two former employees of AIPAC (Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman) also faced charges (that would later be dropped) that they assisted him in the AIPAC espionage scandal
AIPAC espionage scandal
The Lawrence Franklin espionage scandal refers to Lawrence Franklin's scandal of passing classified documents regarding United States policy towards Iran to Israel through American Israel Public Affairs Committee...
and passing classified national defense information to an Israeli diplomat Naor Gilon
Naor Gilon
Naor Gilon is the current Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C.He was the subject of FBI investigations into the Lawrence Franklin espionage scandal, which involved the leaking of classified information by an employee at the United States Department...
. On January 20, 2006, Judge T.S. Ellis, III sentenced Franklin to 151 months (almost 13 years) in prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
and fined him $10,000 which Ellis later reduced to probation with ten months house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
. The case was heard in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia is one of two United States district courts serving the Commonwealth of Virginia...
. Ultimately, Franklin was charged with unauthorized disclosure of classified information, not with espionage.
Franklin at the Office of Special Plans
In 2002 and 2003, Franklin worked at the Office of Special PlansOffice of Special Plans
The Office of Special Plans , which existed from September 2002 to June 2003, was a Pentagon unit created by Paul Wolfowitz and Douglas Feith, and headed by Feith, as charged by then-United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, to supply senior George W. Bush administration officials with...
which was set up by Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Rumsfeld
Donald Henry Rumsfeld is an American politician and businessman. Rumsfeld served as the 13th Secretary of Defense from 1975 to 1977 under President Gerald Ford, and as the 21st Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 under President George W. Bush. He is both the youngest and the oldest person to...
. The office was led by Douglas Feith
Douglas Feith
Douglas J. Feith served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy for United States President George W. Bush from July 2001 until August 2005. His official responsibilities included the formulation of defense planning guidance and forces policy, United States Department of Defense relations...
. Under Feith's authorization, Lawrence Franklin met with Iran-Contra figures; critics allege they discussed Iraq intelligence, while supporters say they discussed only the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
.
See also
- Lawrence Franklin espionage scandal
- AIPAC
External links
- Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies: Lawrence Franklin Case http://www.cicentre.com/Documents/DOC_Larry_Franklin_Case.htm
- Pentagon analyst guilty in Israeli spy scandal http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=9849
- Lawrence Franklin indictment
- Center for Cooperative Research, Profile: Lawrence Franklin http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/entity.jsp?entity=larry_franklin
- Jerry Markon. Pentagon spy for Israel given 12 years, Washington Post, January 21, 2006.
- "Israel 'Spy Scandal' Figure Larry Franklin Breaks Silence"