Possible Spy Cover-Up

Time Magazine is reporting that a Sailor in the U.S. Navy, Ariel Weinmann is being accused of espionage and selling state secrets and confidential data to a "foreign power". Time is reporting that although the Navy is not saying much on which power , they say it may be Russia. Another source is alleging that Weinmann who was stationed on the USS Albuquerque, a submarine stationed in the ME, had recently returned from Israel while on leave, which the US Navy is denying. Although this sailor has a Jewish name , they are claiming he is not Jewish.

It seems this man has been held for several months and this recently surfaced.

The Navy is saying little about the charges against the 21-year-old petty officer third class — and it's uncertain which of the accusations will stick. Weinmann, a submariner, is also accused of desertion and stealing a laptop computer with classified information on it. But all of the charges are preliminary at this point and Navy sources tell TIME they may change if he faces a court-martial.

Most importantly, Navy investigators are still trying to determine if Weinmann actually passed any secrets to a foreign power. In an exclusive interview with TIME, his father Robert Weinmann says he believes his son did not. "I don't know what happened, but I know my son," says Robert Weinman, who works as a quality control inspector for a manufacturing company in Salem. "He has a very high sense of morals. He's the kind of person who gets very indignant about something he doesn't feel is morally right."

The Navy alleges that Ariel Weinmann deserted on July 3, 2005, after his sub, the USS Albuquerque, had returned to Groton, Connecticut. Robert Weinmann says his son ended up in Vienna, Austria living with a friend. He adds that at the Navy's request he "tried very hard" to encourage his son to return to the service, but that Ariel refused.

Time

On Monday, the Saudi daily Al-Watan wrote that Weinmann had recently returned from Israel and implied that he may have been working for the Mossad.

"I can tell you definitively that is not true," the Navy official said in a phone interview with the Post on Tuesday. "This is not a case of an individual spying for Israel...The Al-Watan report is erroneous," he continued.

The official said he had no idea where the Saudi paper got their information from, and that his sources at the Pentagon also knew that Weinmann, suspected of spying, was not a spy for Israel.

To date, the navy has completed an initial investigation and brought a set of initial charges, called preferred charges, against Weinmann. The preferred charges include desertion, larceny, destroying US military property, failure to obey orders or regulations, and espionage.

Specifically, it is alleged that while serving at or near Bahrain, Mexico, and Austria, Weinmann "with intent or reason to believe it would be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation, [attempted] to communicate, deliver or transmit classified CONFIDENTIAL and SECRET information relating to the national defense, to a representative, officer, agent or employee of a foreign government."

Jpost.com

According to a Navy official, reports that Weinmann was an Israeli spy

At one point i honesty felt sorry for the US having a CANCER in the form of Israel slowy killing and sucking dry a once great country.

PEOPLE OF THE US WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Jews hate Christians as much as they hate Muslims, its just the Muslims dont give them billions in funding.

Lets not be so quick to assume that just because this guy has a jewish sounding name that he not only is jewish, but would sell out the US because of it. There are lots of jews in the US, they are largely perfectly patriotic citizens, just like the majority of christians, atheists, pagans, hindus, muslims, etc, in the US. They are saying he may be a spy for Russia, he could've met with russians while in Israel, or he could've met with the Israelis, could go either way right now.

I'd hope that they don't underplay a spy merely in order to keep general support for Israel because of this war.

Originally posted by Nygdan

I'd hope that they don't underplay a spy merely in order to keep general support for Israel because of this war.

Thats what I say 100%.

In past occurances involving Israeli surveillance on the US, 2 members of AIPAC were caught.. They were not charged with treason but with possesion of classified documents. A lesser charge. Not right at all. I wonder why this incident was kept under wraps for so long if he took off in 2005 and was captured in April 2006 and just now news surfacing.


He was upset with the fact that the US was gathering intelligence on an Ally while they were in the ME.


Pie

Indeed, I noticed a blurb in the local newspaper today in the 'world' blurbs, it got about a paragraphs worth of mention. Said absolutely nothing about the guy having been in Israel at the time, and also didn't mention the russians. That looks like they are figuring it wasn't given to the russians, and the paper isn't reporting the 'trivial' fact that he was in Israel at the time.

Anyway, regardless of who he gave this information to, he should be shot.

Originally posted by Nygdan
Anyway, regardless of who he gave this information to, he should be shot.

I have a .45 that would do the job, no political affiliations simply justice and duty.
Back in the old day that is exactly what would have happened, especially in a time of war open or not.

Oh boy, I'm going back to the other board before I type too much else.

Originally posted by Nygdan
There are lots of jews in the US, they are largely perfectly patriotic citizens, just like the majority of christians, atheists, pagans, hindus, muslims, etc, in the US.

Well said, We all need to avoid confusing religion with politics. Being Jewish doesn't make one Israelly any more than being Cristian makes one American. The fact that this guy is a seel out and a Traitor, has NOTHING to do with religion. Beware of confusing religion and politics!

Tim

This spy is probably a member of the mossad, and nothing really ever happens to them.

I wonder why that is.

Surely any US member of Congress who accepts money fro AIPAC is also selling out to a foreign power. That is, after all, why AIPAC gives money to politicians and endorses them for election, so that once in power they will veto any criticism of Israel whilst keeping the money flowing. American interests give way to Israeli interests.

Two things about this story make me pause before assuming that this person spied for Israel.

#1 Why on earth would the Israeli's Moussad allow a person conducting espionage for them to come into the country? That would be a dead giveaway as to whom the Navy man was selling secrets to. Normally most nations keep their "assets" at arms length just so at a minimum they can try to deny it.

#2 The serviceman is accused of treason but the charges "may not stick"? The accusations are that he was caught "stealing a laptop computer with classified information on it" and " [attempted] to communicate, deliver or transmit classified CONFIDENTIAL and SECRET information relating to the national defense, to a representative, officer, agent or employee of a foreign government." - The only way I can see that the charges "may not stick" is if they were trumped up in the first place. I wonder if in this case the navy seaman didn't just steal a laptop and try to pawn it?