- BRIT HUME, HOST: It has been more
than 16 years since a civilian working for the
Navy was charged with passing secrets to Israel.
Jonathan Pollard pled guilty to conspiracy to
commit espionage and is serving a life sentence.
At first, Israeli leaders claimed Pollard was
part of a rogue operation, but later took
responsibility for his work.
- Now Fox News has learned some U.S.
investigators believe that there are Israelis
again very much engaged in spying in and on the
U.S., who may have known things they didn't tell
us before Sept. 11. Fox News correspondent Carl
Cameron has details in the first of a four-part
series.
- (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
- CARL CAMERON, FOX NEWS
CORRESPONDENT: Since Sept. 11, more than 60
Israelis have been arrested or detained, either
under the new patriot anti-terrorism law, or for
immigration violations. A handful of active
Israeli military were among those detained,
according to investigators, who say some of the
detainees also failed polygraph questions when
asked about alleged surveillance activities
against and in the United States.
- There is no indication that the
Israelis were involved in the 9/11 attacks, but
investigators suspect that they Israelis may have
gathered intelligence about the attacks in
advance, and not shared it. A highly placed
investigator said there are "tie-ins."
But when asked for details, he flatly refused to
describe them, saying, "evidence linking
these Israelis to 9/11 is classified. I cannot
tell you about evidence that has been gathered.
It's classified information."
Fox News has learned that one group of Israelis,
spotted in North Carolina recently, is suspected
of keeping an apartment in California to spy on a
group of Arabs who the United States is also
investigating for links to terrorism. Numerous
classified documents obtained by Fox News
indicate that even prior to Sept. 11, as many as
140 other Israelis had been detained or arrested
in a secretive and sprawling investigation into
suspected espionage by Israelis in the United
States.
Investigators from numerous government agencies
are part of a working group that's been compiling
evidence since the mid '90s. These documents
detail hundreds of incidents in cities and towns
across the country that investigators say,
"may well be an organized intelligence
gathering activity."
The first part of the investigation focuses on
Israelis who say they are art students from the
University of Jerusalem and Bazala Academy. They
repeatedly made contact with U.S. government
personnel, the report says, by saying they wanted
to sell cheap art or handiwork.
Documents say they, "targeted and penetrated
military bases." The DEA, FBI and dozens of
government facilities, and even secret offices
and unlisted private homes of law enforcement and
intelligence personnel. The majority of those
questioned, "stated they served in military
intelligence, electronic surveillance intercept
and or explosive ordinance units."
Another part of the investigation has resulted in
the detention and arrests of dozens of Israelis
at American mall kiosks, where they've been
selling toys called Puzzle Car and Zoom Copter.
Investigators suspect a front.
Shortly after The New York Times and Washington
Post reported the Israeli detentions last months,
the carts began vanishing. Zoom Copter's Web page
says, "We are aware of the situation caused
by thousands of mall carts being closed at the
last minute. This in no way reflects the quality
of the toy or its salability. The problem lies in
the operators' business policies."
Why would Israelis spy in and on the U.S.? A
general accounting office investigation referred
to Israel as country A and said, "According
to a U.S. intelligence agency, the government of
country A conducts the most aggressive espionage
operations against the U.S. of any U.S.
ally."
A defense intelligence report said Israel has a
voracious appetite for information and said,
"the Israelis are motivated by strong
survival instincts which dictate every possible
facet of their political and economical policies.
It aggressively collects military and industrial
technology and the U.S. is a high priority
target."
The document concludes: "Israel possesses
the resources and technical capability to achieve
its collection objectives."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
A spokesman for the Israeli embassy here in
Washington issued a denial saying that any
suggestion that Israelis are spying in or on the
U.S. is "simply not true." There are
other things to consider. And in the days ahead,
we'll take a look at the U.S. phone system and
law enforcement's methods for wiretaps. And an
investigation that both have been compromised by
our friends overseas.
HUME: Carl, what about this question of advanced
knowledge of what was going to happen on 9/11?
How clear are investigators that some Israeli
agents may have known something?
CAMERON: It's very explosive information,
obviously, and there's a great deal of evidence
that they say they have collected ó none of it
necessarily conclusive. It's more when they put
it all together. A bigger question, they say, is
how could they not have know? Almost a direct
quote.
HUME: Going into the fact that they were spying
on some Arabs, right?
CAMERON: Correct.
- HUME: All right, Carl, thanks very
much. ___
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