DATE=9/14/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CLINTON - WEN HO LEE (L)
NUMBER=2-266566
BYLINE=DEBORAH TATE
DATELINE=WHITE HOUSE
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO:  President Clinton is clarifying his comments 
about the handling of the case of Wen Ho Lee, the 
scientist accused of mishandling classified data at 
the Los Alamos nuclear weapons laboratory.  While Mr. 
Clinton says he still has questions about why Lee was 
denied bail during his nine-month imprisonment, his 
primary concern is over U-S national security issues.  
Correspondent Deborah Tate reports from the White 
House.
Text:  For a second day in a row, Mr. Clinton 
expressed concerns that federal prosecutors had denied 
bail for Wen Ho Lee, who was released from prison 
Wednesday after being held in solitary confinement 
since his arrest in December.
            /// Clinton Act ///
      The narrow thing I want to illustrate here is 
      that when the United States, whenever we hold 
      anyone in prison who cannot get bail, or is 
      interned for a long period of time before being 
      charged and convicted and sentenced, we need to 
      hit a very high threshold.  That is the specific 
      thing we need to focus on.  I think there ought 
      to be an analysis of whether or not that 
      threshold was crossed in light of the plea 
      bargain.
            /// End Act ///
Lee, a Taiwanese-born naturalized U-S citizen, 
admitted to one felony count of mishandling nuclear 
secrets under a plea bargain and agreed to work with 
U-S investigators.  Fifty-eight other counts against 
him were dropped.
Mr. Clinton says he will discuss handling of the case 
with Attorney General Janet Reno, but says there is no 
evidence Lee was denied bail because of this 
ethnicity.
Still, the president says, his concerns about how the 
government dealt with the case should not obscure the 
seriousness of the crime committed.  He underscored 
that Lee admitted to downloading nuclear secrets from 
a highly secure computer at Los Alamos to insecure 
personal files.
            /// Clinton Act ///
      The American people should not be confused here, 
      that was a very serious offense, and we have to 
      try to reconstitute what was on the tapes.  That 
      is the number one thing we have to do for 
      national security now.
            /// End Act ///
On Thursday, Attorney General Reno defended the 
government's handling of the case.   (signed)
NEB/DAT/JP
15-Sep-2000 13:05 PM LOC (15-Sep-2000 1705 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.