DATE=6/14/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SENATE-NUCLEAR SECRETS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-263488
BYLINE=DAVID SWAN
DATELINE=CAPITOL HILL
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:


INTRO:  Investigators are to start giving lie-detector 
tests today (Wednesday) at a U-S nuclear weapons lab 
at Los Alamos (New Mexico) to find out if missing 
secrets were simply lost or were stolen.  Meanwhile, 
the Clinton administration faces new political fallout 
from the affair.  V-O-A's David Swan reports.


TEXT:  The case has given Republicans another chance 
to attack what they call a shameful record of security 
breaches.  At a Senate hearing, Intelligence Committee 
Chairman Richard Shelby laid the blame on Energy 
Secretary Bill Richardson, whose department oversees 
the laboratory.

            /// Shelby Act ///

      Perhaps if the secretary would spend more time 
      ensuring the safety of our nation's nuclear 
      treasures and less time trying to get the vice-
      president elected president, we would not be 
      here today.

            /// End Act ///

Mr. Richardson has been mentioned as one possible 
running mate for Vice President and Democratic 
presidential nominee Al Gore.  The secretary declined 
to appear at the hearing.

But other officials admit mistakes were made when two 
computer hard drives full of secrets turned up 
missing.  The chief of the Los Alamos lab, Dr. John 
Browne, described how staffers found the devices gone 
from a secure vault last month.

            /// Browne Act ///

      It was at that point that they noticed that 
      these hard drives were missing.  Mistake number 
      one: they did not pick up the phone and call me 
      or anybody in my chain of command.

            /// End Act ///

The lab was then threatened by wildfires, which may 
have caused confusion.  Still, it took more than three 
weeks before senior officials were informed and the 
investigation began.  Six Los Alamos managers have 
since been suspended.  The Senate has confirmed an Air 
Force general as head of a new organization to run all 
the nuclear labs.

At the White House, spokesman Joe Lockhart urged 
critics not to jump to conclusions.

            /// Lockhart Act ///

      I think that those who want to point the finger 
      of blame should take a deep breath.  We should 
      find out the facts here.  As I said yesterday, 
      there are some very troubling questions here.  
      But we need to find out whether this is an 
      isolated incident or we need to find out whether 
      it's more broad.

            /// End Act ///

But even members of the president's own party are 
worried.  One Democratic senator (Richard Bryan) says 
the drives may turn out to be merely misplaced - but 
that for now, lawmakers must assume and fear the 
worst.   (Signed)

NEB/DS/JP




14-Jun-2000 15:10 PM EDT (14-Jun-2000 1910 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.