FBI Searches Offices of Pro-Israel Lobby

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents conducted searches Wednesday in AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) offices, as part of the investigation into suspicions that senior AIPAC officials received classified information from Pentagon analyst Larry Franklin, and transferred that information to Israel.

When the investigation began in August, the pro-Israel AIPAC lobby denied serving as a conduit for documents from Franklin, who is connected to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's office.

Three months ago, FBI agents interrogated AIPAC officials, and confiscated computer files. According to AIPAC, the organization is fully cooperating in the investigation, and they hope they will soon prove that the accusations are groundless.

Shortly after the investigation began, American media reported that the U.S. administration believes that the FBI will refrain from charging Franklin with espionage. The FBI apparently lacks any evidence that the Pentagon data analyst was operated by either Israel or AIPAC.

Nathan Guttman, Haaretz Correspondent