CONTACT: (202) 225-2011 Pete Peterson/Michael Barbera
Weldon Calls for DOE Secretary Richardson's Resignation
in Wake of Blockbuster New Revelations
Sandia National Lab sold a $9 million supercomputer to a Chinese
national for $30,000 The current location of one of the most capable U.S. supercomputers
is not known
WASHINGTON, DC -- Congressman
Curt Weldon (R-PA), a member of the Cox Committee, called for the resignation
of Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson today. The call for the Secretary's
resignation comes in the wake of a report by Insight Magazine today that
Sandia National Laboratory sold an Intel Paragon XPS supercomputer in October
to a Chinese national who specializes in exporting advanced U.S. goods
to China. With a capability between 150,000 and 200,000 million
theoretical operations per second (MTOPS) -- the system is one of the United
States' most capable supercomputers operating today.
According to Insight Magazine,
Sandia National Laboratory sold the $9 million supercomputer as surplus
for $30,000 to Korber Jiang, a Chinese national visiting the United States.
After it realized what it had done, the Department of Energy attempted
to buy back the computer for $2.5 million. The buyer refused and
the current whereabouts of the supercomputer remain unknown. It is
possible that the computer has already been transferred out of the country.
"This is a tremendous breach
of our national security," stated Congressman Weldon, who serves as Chairman
of the House Armed Services Committee's Research and Development Subcommittee.
"This computer, which can be used to design nuclear weapons, may already
be in the hands of the Chinese. It's possible that sensitive nuclear
secrets were not properly wiped from the computer's hard drive. The
Chinese may even have successfully reverse engineered the supercomputer."
"This is another example
of the bunging at the Department of Energy," Weldon said. "Of
all the national security fiascos during the Clinton-Gore years, this may
be the most serious breach yet."
Weldon's
letter read in part: "If you knew about the sale of this supercomputer
and intentionally misled the American people and Members of Congress, you
have betrayed the trust of this nation. If you were unaware of this
sale, it shows you to be completely out of the loop and renders you unfit
to oversee the Department of Energy. Either way, you have lost the
confidence of myself and many Members of Congress. If these revelations
are true, then -- for the sake of our country and national security --
I must regrettably ask for your resignation."
Congressman Weldon
has also written to FBI Director Louis Freeh and asked for a full and independent
investigation of the computer sale. He has also pledged to hold Congressional
hearings to learn more about the bungled sale and its damage to the nation's
security. A copy of the letter to Secretary Richardson is attached.
