When I read about the case of one Ariel Weinmann a few days ago, my first thought was "terrorism". Why else would the U.S. Navy secretly hold one of its sailors for four month in a Norfolk brig?
But then – the name, did not fit and there is a espionage charge involved.
A petty officer has been in the Norfolk Naval Station brig for more than four months facing espionage, desertion and other charges, but the Navy has refused to release details of the case.
The case against Fire Control Technician 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann is indicative of the secrecy surrounding the Navy military court here ..
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A docket listing Weinmann’s preliminary hearing, called an Article 32, was never produced. The Navy would not disclose when the hearing was held.
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Weinmann had been serving aboard the submarine Albuquerque until he deserted in July 2005, according to Brown. Weinmann enlisted in July 2003, he said.
The submarine Albuquerque is a Los Angeles class nuclear fast attack boat. A Fire Control Technician is:
responsible for all operational and administrative aspects of the submarine’s computer and control mechanisms used in weapons systems and related programs.
Mr. Weinmann had a low level, but sensitive job. Still this does not explain the unusual four month secrecy around the sailors preliminary hearing.
Today a report in The Virginian-Pilot reveals a bit more:
The Navy’s charges depict Petty Officer 3rd Class Ariel J. Weinmann as a sailor who stole a Navy laptop computer, deserted his ship for more than eight months and traveled the globe, both attempting to give and actually delivering classified defense information to an undisclosed foreign government.
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Arguably the most serious charges are three counts of espionage in violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The first count alleges that in March 2005, in or near Manama, Bahrain, Weinmann did "attempt to communicate, deliver or transmit" classified information relating to national defense to "a representative, officer, agent or employee of a foreign government."The two subsequent charges allege that months later – after purportedly deserting his Connecticut-based submarine – Weinmann did "communicate, deliver or transmit" information classified as confidential and secret to a representative of a foreign government.
According to the charges, those events occurred in Vienna, Austria, around Oct. 19, 2005, and around March 19, near Mexico City, Mexico.
Weinmann was picked up at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport days after the incident in Mexico, according to the charges. Brown said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service was involved in the case.
It is interesting to note that the SSN-706 Albuquerque was in or near Manama, Bahrain around March 2005.
Another bit of the secrecy veil was lifted Monday in the Saudi daily Al-Watan and reported today by the Jerusalem Post:
A US Navy sailor, Ariel J. Weinmann, is suspected of spying for Israel and has been held in prison for four months, according to an article published Monday in the Saudi daily Al-Watan. It reported that Weinmann is being held at a military base in Virginia on suspicion of espionage and desertion.
According to the navy, Weinmann was apprehended on March 26 "after it was learned that he had been listed as a deserter by his command." Though initial information released by the navy makes no mention of it, Al-Watan reported that he was returning from an undisclosed "foreign country." American sources close to the Defense Department told Al-Watan that Israel was the country in question.
Al-Watan speaks of "sources" and Weinmann spying for Israel could make some sense. Israel does have Dolphin submarines with the capacity to launch cruise missiles. It is suspected that these could be armed with nuclear warheads. Some software specifics on the U.S. lauch and control systems could be of dear interest to the IOF.
But then the Virginian WAVY TV News website speculates about Russian involvement:
Navy officials say Weinmann visited Bahrain, Austria and Mexico, but they aren’t saying if he was dealing with those governments.
But a source tells us, one of the countries involved is Russia.
Now I admit that Russia could be the foreign country involved here, but I wonder why a spy case with Russian involvement would be kept secret for so long. Such a case would be perfect to put some diplomatic pressure on Russia in the case of the Iran UN resolution or other issues.
An espionage case against an Israeli spy is a different challenge. While Israel and the U.S. are together creating Ledeen’s cauldron of a "New Middle East", another Pollard case, even a small one, might not be welcome news to some.