ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A former Middle East analyst for the Pentagon admitted Wednesday that he gave classified information to pro-Israel lobbyists and a diplomat.
Larry Franklin pleaded guilty in federal court in Virginia and promised to testify against Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, who resigned from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee when the investigation became public, the Jerusalem Post reported.
The hearing was the first time that prosecutors said that Israel was directly involved in the case. Asked if he had passed classified material to any foreign officials, Franklin said, "I met occasionally with Naor Gilon from the Israeli embassy."
Franklin suggested that his motives were innocent, saying he thought he was getting more information from Gilon than he gave, and that he hoped to use Rosen and Weissman to as a "back channel" to the National Security Council. He said he discussed his frustration with one particular area of foreign policy with them.
Sentencing was scheduled for January. Under Franklin's plea agreement, he can serve any sentence at a minimum-security facility and keep the part of his federal pension assigned to his wife.
