U.S. to announce new charges in Pentagon probe

[Englander]

By James Vicini | August 4, 2005

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors plan to announce additional charges on Thursday against a Defense Department analyst accused of illegally disclosing classified defense information, and to charge two former officials of a pro-Israel lobbying group, government sources said.

The additional charges involve Lawrence Franklin, a Pentagon analyst already accused of giving the information to two former employees of the influential American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the two sources said.

They said prosectors planned to announce charges against Steve Rosen, formerly AIPAC's policy director, and Keith Weissman, formerly its senior analyst.

In Alexandria, Virginia, where the case has been pending, U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty scheduled a news conference at 2 p.m./1800 GMT) for an announcement "related to a major national security prosecution."

Franklin, who worked on the Iran desk within the Office of the Secretary of Defense at the time the government says he disclosed the information, previously was charged with disclosing top-secret information about potential attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq to the two AIPAC employees.

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