[rogue yam]

we are NOT pure as the driven snow in the espionage arena and suggesting that we are is ridiculous...

And suggesting that people are suggesting something that no one is suggesting is a straw-man argument.

[sofaman]

straw man? Hardly...let us not be so indignant that an ally would spy on us. There is no doubt that we have, and that we do.

That is hardly a strawman argument because the argument cannot be refuted. We HAVE spied in allies in the past.

The fact that Pollard should rot in prison, should not give way to "holier than thou" sentiment swhen it comes to spying on "friends".