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Attempt is a crime. So is conspiracy. His wife was in on it. But there are two questions: how did the FBI find out about it? Was Toebbe targeted by an informa

Attempt is a crime. So is conspiracy. His wife was in on it. But there are two questions: how did the FBI find out about it? Was Toebbe targeted by an informant? Secondly, which country was he offering the secrets to? This makes a big difference. "Enemy" or ally? Maybe he felt sorry for the way France was effed over by AUKUS and wanted to make amends.

pseingatl 5y ago
Looks like there was no informant. He contacted the French Embassy on his own and after that, the French government cooperated with the FBI. Prediction: he'll take a plea. In mitigation, France is an ally. Aggravation: these are nuclear secrets. France will not come to his aid, as Israel did for Pollard for many years, unsuccessfully. Fortunately, there was no real harm. 20 years unless he gets a particularly harsh judge. Worst case: 40.
- dhx 5y ago
  If he's willing to sell the information to France, France would rightly be concerned that he'd be willing to also sell the information to countries France isn't friendly with. Even if France didn't care about the information being shared elsewhere, they would still likely care about potentially breaching the classified information treaty they signed with the USA back in 1977[1]. When France received the information, they may have assumed it was a test from the USA to see if France was still upholding their treaty obligations to report unauthorised distribution of US classified information? [1] https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201114/volume-1114-I-17238-English.pdf https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201114/v...
jrochkind1 5y ago
> This makes a big difference. "Enemy" or ally? Makes a big difference to what, are you suggesting? In the law? How does Russia vs France make a difference? we have declared war against neither. Sharing national security secrets with either is a crime in fact. How it looks in the news and to the social media mob? Sure.

pseingatl 5y ago

Looks like there was no informant. He contacted the French Embassy on his own and after that, the French government cooperated with the FBI. Prediction: he'll take a plea. In mitigation, France is an ally. Aggravation: these are nuclear secrets. France will not come to his aid, as Israel did for Pollard for many years, unsuccessfully. Fortunately, there was no real harm. 20 years unless he gets a particularly harsh judge. Worst case: 40.

dhx 5y ago
If he's willing to sell the information to France, France would rightly be concerned that he'd be willing to also sell the information to countries France isn't friendly with. Even if France didn't care about the information being shared elsewhere, they would still likely care about potentially breaching the classified information treaty they signed with the USA back in 1977[1]. When France received the information, they may have assumed it was a test from the USA to see if France was still upholding their treaty obligations to report unauthorised distribution of US classified information? [1] https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201114/volume-1114-I-17238-English.pdf https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%201114/v...

jrochkind1 5y ago

> This makes a big difference. "Enemy" or ally? Makes a big difference to what, are you suggesting? In the law? How does Russia vs France make a difference? we have declared war against neither. Sharing national security secrets with either is a crime in fact. How it looks in the news and to the social media mob? Sure.