DATE=03/12/99
TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP
NUMBER=6-11189
TITLE=REMEMBER LOS ALAMOS
BYLINE=NEAL LAVON
TELEPHONE=619-0112
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS
CONTENT=
INTRO: THE U-S PRESS HAD PLENTY TO SAY ON FRIDAY ABOUT A
POSSIBLE CHINESE NUCLEAR ESPIONAGE CASE INVOLVING THE NATION'S
PREMIER NUCLEAR WEAPONS LAB. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM
____________ IN TODAY'S U-S OPINION ROUNDUP.
TEXT: U-S AUTHORITIES ARE INVESTIGATING WEAPONS DESIGNER WEN HO
LEE ON CHARGES HE GAVE NUCLEAR SECRETS TO CHINA. MR. LEE, BORN
IN TAIWAN, WAS FIRED MONDAY FROM HIS JOB AT THE TOP-SECRET
WEAPONS RESEARCH LABORATORY AT LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO.
BUT MR. LEE'S SUPERVISORS AND OTHERS IN THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION HAD WARNINGS OF POSSIBLE ESPIONAGE AT LOS ALAMOS
FOR 17 MONTHS BEFORE MR. LEE WAS DISMISSED. THE ADMINISTRATION,
WHICH NOTES MR. LEE HAS YET TO BE CHARGED WITH ANYTHING, SAYS IT
HAS ACTED PROMPTLY AND AGGRESSIVELY IN THE MATTER. U-S POLICY
TOWARD CHINA, THE PRESIDENT WARNED, SHOULD NOT BE ADVERSELY
AFFECTED BECAUSE OF THIS MATTER.
THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE WONDERS WHY MR. LEE HAS YET TO BE CHARGED
WITH ANY CRIME AND WHAT ROLE ESPIONAGE PLAYS IN THE POST-COLD WAR
WORLD.
VOICE: PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR A STRATEGIC
PARTNERSHIP WITH CHINA, YET IT WOULD BE NAIVE TO
THINK THE END OF THE COLD WAR MEANT THE END OF
SPYING. IF THERE WAS ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO FIRE LEE FOR
GIVING U-S SECRETS TO THE CHINESE, WHY ISN'T THERE
ENOUGH TO CHARGE HIM WITH A CRIME? IS THERE LIKELY TO
EVER BE?...THE JURY IS STILL OUT ON THE EXTENT OF THE
SECURITY DAMAGE AND THE ALLEGATIONS THAT THE CLINTON
ADMINISTRATION MOVED TOO SLOWLY TO ADDRESS THEM.
TEXT: WHILE THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE IS WILLING TO GRANT THE
ADMINISTRATION THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT, THE CLEVELAND PLAIN
DEALER IS MUCH HARSHER IN ITS ASSESSMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S
PERFORMANCE.
VOICE: IN 1995, INTELLIGENCE OFFICIALS AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
ENERGY, WHICH OVERSEES NUCLEAR RESEARCH LABS,
DETECTED ESPIONAGE FOR CHINA. YET D-O-E BRASS
[LEADERSHIP] RAN HOT AND COLD ON TRACKING DOWN
SPIES...IN APRIL 1996, D-O-E'S INTELLIGENCE CHIEF
ALERTED PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON'S NATIONAL SECURITY
ADVISER, SANDY BERGER, WHO TOLD THE F-B-I, WHICH WENT
NOWHERE FAST. ENERGY SECRETARY FEDERICO
PENA...IGNORED F-B-I RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVED
SECURITY FOR 17 MONTHS. IN SEPTEMBER 1997, F-B-I
DIRECTOR LOUIS FREEH [PRONOUNCED "FREE"] ADVISED
D-O-E THAT THE EVIDENCE WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR AN
ARREST BUT SUFFICIENT TO REMOVE THE SUSPECT FROM HIS
POST. ON MONDAY, LEE WAS FIRED -- 17 MONTHS AFTER
FREEH'S ADVICE...SEVERAL WEEKS AFTER LEE FLUNKED A
POLYGRAPH TEST AND TWO DAYS AFTER A NEW YORK TIMES
REPORT. WHY THE DELAY?"
TEXT: THE INCIDENT SHOULD NOT BE USED AS POLITICAL
AMMUNITION AGAINST PRESIDENT CLINTON, CAUTIONS THE LOS ANGELES
TIMES, BECAUSE ITS ROOTS GO BACK TO THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION
WHEN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY CONTROLLED THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
VOICE: REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES AND CONGRESSIONAL
LEADERS HAVE SEIZED ON THE LOS ALAMOS NUCLEAR SPYING
STORY TO ATTACK THE WHOLE OF PRESIDENT CLINTON'S
CHINA POLICY...THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME EFFORTS
HAVE BEEN MADE TO WRING PARTISAN POLITICAL ADVANTAGE
FROM A NATIONAL SECURITY PROBLEM, NOR IS IT THE FIRST
TIME AN ADMINISTRATION'S CLUMSINESS HAS INVITED SUCH
AN ASSAULT...THE REPORTED SPYING BEGAN IN THE
MID-1980S, DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION, AND
APPARENTLY CONTINUED THROUGH THE TERM OF GEORGE BUSH,
ANOTHER PRESIDENT (AND FORMER AMBASSADOR TO CHINA)
WHO WAS EAGER TO NURTURE CLOSER TIES WITH
BEIJING...AN INVESTIGATION THAT IS LIMITED TO TRYING
TO HOLD DEMOCRATS SOLELY ACCOUNTABLE FOR SECURITY
LAXITY WILL BE AN INVESTIGATION WHOSE CREDIBILITY
WILL BE IN DOUBT."
TEXT: BUT THE WASHINGTON TIMES SAYS THE ADMINISTRATION'S
"BLAME RONALD REAGAN FIRST" RESPONSE TO THE MATTER WILL NOT HOLD
UP UNDER INDEPENDENT SCRUTINY.
VOICE: THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION WASTED LITTLE TIME
UNVEILING ITS 'BLAME RONALD REAGAN FIRST' STRATEGY.
VICE PRESIDENT AL GORE WILL BE THE MAN TO DEAL WITH
ANY ELECTORAL REPERCUSSIONS, AND SO THE WHITE HOUSE
DISPATCHED HIM TO SPREAD WHATEVER DISINFORMATION HE
COULD. COMING FROM THE MAN WHO COINED THE PHRASE, "NO
LEGAL CONTROLLING AUTHORITY" TO ABSOLVE HIMSELF FROM
SHAKING DOWN BUDDHIST MONKS AND NUNS FOR CAMPAIGN
CONTRIBUTIONS IN 1996, MR. GORE'S PERFORMANCE MET THE
LOW STANDARDS HE LONG AGO PERFECTED...THE PROBLEM IS,
MR. GORE'S SELF-SERVING INTERPRETATION IN NO WAY
CONFORMS WITH REALITY."
TEXT: FINALLY, THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS URGES THAT THE
CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE INVESTIGATING THIS INCIDENT, HEADED BY
CHRISTOPHER COX, A REPUBLICAN, AND NORMAN DICKS, A DEMOCRAT, MAKE
THEIR FINDINGS PUBLIC AS JUDICIOUSLY AS POSSIBLE.
VOICE: GETTING TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STORY REQUIRES THE
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF MOST OR ALL OF THE 700 PAGES OF
INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN COMPILED...RAPID DISCLOSURE IS
IMPERATIVE, BEFORE THE WHITE HOUSE CAN PUT ITS SPIN
DOCTORS TO WORK."
TEXT: THAT CONCLUDES THIS SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT ON
THE ALLEGED SPYING INCIDENT AT LOS ALAMOS. (SIGNED)
NEB/NL/KL
12-Mar-99 1:01 PM EST (1801 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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