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~ DATE 07-29-2010 BY 60324 uc baw ~ Ilsg
www.haarcrz.eom
Last update. 16:062510312005
Pentagon analyst Franklin retur~s to work
By Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondent
WASHINGTON - Pentagon analyst Larry Franklin was reinstated a
few weeks ago, ~er sitting at home for halfa year and being barred
from returning to his job on the Iranian desk in the Department of
Defense's policy division. Franklin was at the center ofa lengthy FBI
investigation after suspicions arose that he transferred classified
information about U.S. policy on Iran to members ofthe pro-Israel
lobby AlPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee).
In the seven months since the affair made headlines on the CBS
evening news, the investigation has been kept under tight wraps, but
its ramifications are already being felt.
While Franklin is back at work, and, say well-placed sources, is
expected to reach a plea bargain, the spotlight has moved to the
AlPAC officials- two senior members were suspended for the
duration ofthe case and four other senior officials were forced to
testify at length before the special investigative jury in Virginia,
whose proceedings are classified.
Even ifthe investigation is nowhere near completion, it has definitely
reached a crossroads, at which investigators must decide on the
suspects in the case- Larry Franklin alone; Franklin and two AIPAC
officials, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman; or whether, on top of
those three, the entire AIPAC organization has acted unlawfully.
Sources close to the investigation suggested recently that it would end
in a plea bargain. Franklin would plead to a lesser crime of
unauthorized transfer ofinformation, Rosen and Weissman would be
charged with receiving classified information unlawfully, and AIPAC
would remain unstained. Franklin's lawyer, Plato Cacheris, Thursday
denied the reports, stating: "We have not entered any plea ofdefense
with the Justice Department."
AlPAC refused to say anything about the possibilitY ofa plea bargain.
As for Franklin's reinstatement, a Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Paul
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