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
.