DATE=6/12/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=MISSING NUCLEAR MATERIALS (L)
NUMBER=2-263411
BYLINE=MIKE O'SULLIVAN
DATELINE=LOS ANGELES
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: U-S officials say a search is underway
for nuclear secrets stored on computer devices at
a U-S weapons laboratory. As we hear from Mike
O'Sullivan in V-O-A's West Coast bureau, the
officials say they have not uncovered evidence
of espionage.
TEXT: Officials of the U-S Department of Energy
say the Federal Bureau of Investigation is
assisting in the search for the missing data at
the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
Monday, the New York Times website broke the
story, saying the missing computer drives
contained secret information used to respond to
nuclear accidents and nuclear threats from
terrorists. The newspaper said the devices also
contain intelligence information on Russia's
nuclear weapons program.
The Los Alamos laboratory was evacuated in early
May when it was threatened by forest fires. The
material was reported missing June first. Energy
Department officials have said security personnel
remained at the base during the evacuation, and
that structures containing sensitive nuclear
secrets were not threatened by the fires.
Monday, John Browne, the director of the research
facility, called the disappearance an extremely
serious matter, which he says officials are
taking swift actions to deal with. The head of
security for the laboratory says there is no
evidence of espionage.
A laboratory news release says officials are
conducting an exhaustive search of computers,
safes, containers and vaults, and interviewing
staff members with access to the vault where the
data was stored.
The Los Alamos facility is the oldest and best
known U-S nuclear research center, where
scientists developed the first atomic bomb during
the Second World War. Over the past year,
however, the laboratory has been criticized for
lax security after the firing of one of its
scientists, Wen Ho Lee, for mishandling nuclear
secrets. Originally suspected of passing nuclear
secrets to China, Mr. Lee was never charged with
espionage, but is awaiting trial on charges of
illegally copying vast amounts of weapons data.
He faces a possible term of life in prison if
convicted.
Officials have not ruled out the possibility that
the missing computer data was misplaced during
evacuation of the laboratory. They say it could
also have been stolen, or inadvertently
destroyed. (Signed)
NEB/MO'S/KL
12-Jun-2000 20:34 PM EDT (13-Jun-2000 0034 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
