ADMINISTRATION ABETS ESPIONAGERENO
ADMINISTRATION ABETS ESPIONAGE
In the March 30, 1999 edition of Investor's Business Daily (IBD), it is revealed that not only did the administration turn a blind eye toward Red Chinese espionage, it may well have abetted it.
Noting the investigative reporting of Jeff Gerth and James Risen of the New York Times who have been attempting to get out the story despite the administration's efforts to delay and defuse the Cox Report (the report of the special investigative Congressional committee headed by Christopher Cox, a California Republican) and the distraction of Kosovo, the article observes that after efforts to shift the blame to previous administrations failed, the Clinton administration went into damage control.
The central character in the story is Wen Ho Lee, a Taiwan-born American who worked for the Los Alamos National Lab, which develops nuclear weapons. Soon after the theft of nuclear secrets was discovered, Lee became the prime suspect but was allowed to keep his job and was promoted to a more sensitive post. He was also permitted to hire a Red Chinese national as an assistant -- who has since disappeared.
While noting that these infractions were bad enough, IBD says that the actions of the Justice Department regarding the FBI's probe border on the criminal.
As a part of the probe, the FBI requested a wiretap on Lee. Justice denied it, arguing it did not have sufficient grounds to take to federal court to get the tap approved. However, IBD argues that a look at the Justice Department's record on wiretaps show that from 1993 to 1997, federal officials requested 2,686 wiretaps. Justice turned down just one request in those four years, Lee's in 1996.
Despite claims that Justice had few grounds to tap Lee, the record for the first four years of Clinton's term shows that only one in five wiretaps revealed shady actions.
The possible conclusions IBD poses are:
IBD suggests that while the administration now has its hands full with Kosovo, it must not be allowed to duck these questions on Red China's espionage.
BIG SISTER IS WATCHING YOU. . .
Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago in a land far away, a bad man by the name of Adolph told the children to spy on their parents and report them if they said things the government didn't like. . .
Check out what Janet Reno wants:
A message from the Attorney General: In these stories, kids like you have to deal with the prejudice of their family members. We all have relatives and friends that came to this country from other lands. Some chose to come, and some did not. Unfortunately, some people -- even our relatives -- can forget how difficult it is to come to a new country, learn a new language and make new friends.When someone makes jokes about people, or labels people, because of where they come from, the color of their skin, their religion, or gender, it is both a hurtful act and a hateful act. If this happens in your home, you might try talking to your parents, teacher, religious leader, counselor, or other adult with whom you feel comfortable.
If you want to see the the whole website, click here.