Spies, Rosenburgs

CONTROVERSY THAN THE ROSENBERGS, AMERICA'S MOST INFAMOUS SPIES. THE YEAR IS 1949, AND POST-WAR AMERICA IS FIXATED ON THE ATOM BOMB. AMERICA HAD IT, THE SOVIETS STOLE IT, AND WE WANTED TO KNOW HOW. THE FIRST ANSWER COMES IN 1950. BRITISH PHYSICIST KLAUS FUCHS IS CAPTURED AND ADMITS GIVING THE SOVIETS ATOMIC SECRETS HE GATHERED WHILE WORKING ON THE MANHATTAN PROJECT. THIS SETS OFF A SEPARATE SPY HUNT IN THE UNITED STATES. AN FBI INVESTIGATION LEADS TO DAVID GREENGLASS, A FORMER SOLDIER AT LOS ALAMOS, AMERICA'S TOP SECRET NUCLEAR FACILITY. HE, IN TURN, POINTS TO A PAIR OF COMMUNIST SYMPATHIZERS NAMED ETHEL AND JULIUS ROSENBERG, AND THEY'RE ACCUSED OF MASTERMINDING THE PLOT TO STEAL THE ATOM BOMB FOR THE RUSSIANS. ENGINEER MORTON SOBELL IS ALSO IMPLICATED. HE HAD KNOWN THE ROSENBERGS FOR YEARS. >> Sobell: THEY WERE VERY, VERY ORDINARY PEOPLE. THEY WERE VERY, VERY INTERESTED IN THEIR CHILDREN LIKE ORDINARY PARENTS ARE, AND THERE WAS NOTHING ABOUT THEM THAT WOULD DEFINE THEM DIFFERENT FROM THE REST OF THE POPULATION. >> Rowe: BUT THE ROSENBERGS WERE DIFFERENT. THEY WERE CHARGED WITH GIVING THE RUSSIANS SKETCHES SHOWING THE INNER WORKINGS OF THE ATOM BOMB. OFFERED SOME LENIENCY IF THEY'D CONFESS, THE ROSENBERGS REFUSED, SO THE UNITED STATES BROUGHT THE FULL WEIGHGHGHGHGHGHGHT OF ITS R AGAINST THE ACCUSED SPIES. IN TRIAL, PROSECUTOR IRVING SAYPOLE ARGUES THE CASE WITH ZEALOUS PATRIOTISM. THE STRATEGY WORKS. AFTER ONLY ONE DAY OF DELIBERATION, AN EMOTIONAL JURY FINDS THE DEFENDANTS GUILTY. THOUGH CONVICTED OF CONSPIRACY, SOBELL IS NEVER CONNECTED TO THE ATOM BOMB. HE'S SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON. THE ROSENBERGS, HOWEVER, ARE SENTENCED TO DEATH. ACROSS THE GLOBE, PROTESTERS TAKE TO THE STREETS. MANY CLAIM THE EVIDENCE AGAINST THE ROSENBERGS IS UNRELIABLE, WHILE OTHERS ACCUSE THE U.S. GOVERNMENT OF ANTI-SEMITISM. BUT ONE THING SEEMS EVIDENT: EVEN IF THE ROSENBERGS DID WHAT THEY WERE ACCUSED OF DOING, THE RUDIMENTARY SKETCHES THEY GAVE THE SOVIETS PALED IN COMPARISON TO THE DETAILED INFORMATION PROVIDED BY FUCHS, WHO WOULD SERVE ONLY NINE YEARS IN A BRITISH PRISON. SO WHY WERE THE ROSENBERGS GIVEN SUCH HARSH SENTENCES? >> Sobell: THIS WAS A POLITICAL TRIAL. IN A POLITICAL TRIAL, THE PUNISHMENT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE OFFENSE. A POLITICAL TRIAL IS ONE IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO SEND A MESSAGE... DOMESTICALLY AND ABROAD. >> Rowe: THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED ALL WOULD-BE SPIES TO GET THAT MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR. DESPITE THE ONGOING DEBATE, ETHEL AND JULIUS ROSENBERG GO TO THE ELECTRIC CHAIR ON JUNE 19th, 1953, JUST ONE DAY AFTER THEIR 14th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY. IT IS A CONTROVERSIAL ENDING FOR AMERICA'S MOST INFAMOUS SPIES. ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS, THE ROSENBERGS WERE NEVER PAID BY THE SOVIETS. IF THEY WERE GUILTY AS CHARGED, THEN THEY WERE MOTIVATED BY IDEALS, AND IN THE HANDS OF THE