WASHINGTON, May 4 (Xinhuanet) -- A Pentagon analyst was arrested and charged with providing classified information about potential attacks on US forces in Iraq, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.

    Larry Franklin, the analyst, allegedly provided the information to members of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group.

    Franklin, 58, turned himself in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in Washington on Wednesday morning, and later made a brief appearance in a suburban US District Court. He was released on a 100,000-US dollar bond under the condition he surrender his firearms and passport.

    A one-count criminal complaint did not identify by name the group, but described the June 26, 2003, luncheon meeting in which Franklin allegedly disclosed top-secret information to two individuals known to be associated with the organization.

    The court document said that Franklin worked on the Iran desk of the Office of Near East and South Asia.

    A search of Franklin's Pentagon office in June 2004 found the June 2003 classified document containing the information that Franklin allegedly disclosed to the two individuals, the Justice Department said.

    The criminal complaint said Franklin admitted to FBI investigators in a June 30, 2004, interview that he provided the classified information contained in a June 25, 2003, document to two individuals.

    The Justice Department said about 83 separate classified government documents were found during a search of Franklin's West Virginia home in June 2004, and the dates of these documents spanned three decades.

    Franklin has been at the center of a lengthy FBI and Justice Department investigation into possible spying involving Israel and several officials of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee.

    The charge of disclosing classified US national defense information carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail. A preliminary hearing was set for May 27. Enditem