A Republican member of the House intelligence committee lent credibility to reports that Israel has been spying on nuclear talks between the permanent UN Security Council members and Iran, and then feeding members of Congress with the intelligence, even as fellow lawmakers and administration officials refuse to confirm or deny the allegations.
“This is what countries do,” Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) said during an appearance on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal Wednesday morning, responding to a question about the Israeli espionage row.
“How did we find out that Israel was spying? Answer yourself that question,” he said coyly, hinting that US surveillance efforts were likely behind the Israeli revelations, first published in the Wall Street Journal.
Rep. LoBiondo then changed tunes and moved more closely toward the company line.
“We can’t talk a lot about it. We don’t like to hear these things aired publicly, we don’t know the details of it. We can’ confirm or deny that it in fact did take place or it didn’t take place,” he said, grinning through his words.
“But countries protect their own interest,” LoBiondo added, defending the Middle East ally.
He later said, again while grinning, that he “can’t confirm or deny” if Israel is telling the truth when it denied spying on US diplomats.
Rep. LoBiondo’s brief episodes of frankness were unique—especially for a lawmaker with access to sensitive information as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
On Tuesday, Speaker of the House John Boehner dismissed the spying charges.
President Obama was also asked about it during his press conference with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, but refused to offer up any details.
“As a general rule, I don’t comment on intelligence matters in a big room full of reporters. And I think I’ll continue that tradition.” he said.
During a State Department briefing with reports, spokeswoman Jen Psaki sparred with reporters looking for confirmation, repeatedly saying that she, too, will not “comment on intelligence matters.”
In spite of the tight-lipped approach to the matter by most lawmakers and administration officials, recent history does suggest that Israel was likely involved in espionage efforts against US negotiators. Documents released by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden described Israel as one of the top three “most aggressive intelligence service[s] against the US.”
