The interagency group is also investigating several other "less serious" leaks of information and alleged security carelessness at other nuclear weapons laboratories, officials said.

The task force's report -- which will include recommendations on how to tighten security at the Sandia Laboratories in New Mexico and the Lawrence Livermore laboratory in California -- is expected to reach Congress in a few weeks.

The Taiwan-born computer scientist, Wen Ho Lee, was dismissed Monday from his job at Los Alamos after a three-year espionage investigation determined that he may have helped mainland China steal technology allowing it to develop much smaller nuclear warheads.

A senior administration official told CNN, however, it is "unlikely" that the scientist, who is in his 50s, will be charged with any criminal offense, since there is not enough hard evidence against him.

"The notion that this guy is another Rosenberg is sort of silly," said the official.

Blame spreads to 3 administrations

The espionage at the Los Alamos nuclear research laboratory allegedly happened during the 1980s, when Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush were in the White House.

State Department spokesman James Rubin denied Tuesday that the Clinton administration had been lax in protecting U.S. interests.

"We have no illusions about China's desire to acquire sensitive information and technology for military uses by many different means. It is absolutely not true that we downplayed any evidence of this. We took the issue seriously, as our actions demonstrate," Rubin said.

Vice President Al Gore also denied charges the Clinton administration was slow in responding to the alleged theft of nuclear warhead design information discovered in 1995.

"This happened in the previous administration, and the law enforcement agencies have pressed it and pursued it aggressively with our full support," he said in an interview for CNN's Late Edition.

"And in the course of this, what developed was a brand-new presidential directive that fixed problems that we had inherited and changed and vastly improved the procedures in the national laboratory system," Gore added.

Gore was the highest-ranking U.S. official to comment on the allegations since they were disclosed Saturday by The New York Times.

The vice president said that despite the new allegations, the administration is committed to its policy of "constructive engagement" with China.

"China is the most populous country in the world. Its economy is growing, and its role in the world is going to continue to grow whether we want that or not," he said.

China denies spying

China has said the allegations are unfounded and are designed to undermine improved relations between Washington and Beijing.

"This also demonstrates a present trend for some people to try to hamper the normal export by the U.S. of some high-tech products to China, and hamper the improvement and development of China-U.S. relations," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao.

Critics charge that the administration's desire to increase U.S. exports to China caused it to delay action for too long -- leaving an allegedly untrustworthy scientist in his job with top security clearances.

But administration officials say Wen Ho Lee has been under FBI surveillance since 1997 while the FBI tried to build a case.

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CIA measures nuclear espionage damage

Allegations of spying at Los Alamos National Laboratory have led to increased security measures RELATED VIDEO
CNN Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre examines the technology China allegedly obtained

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Special Report: Los Alamos

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CNN's David Ensor reports on Chinese espionage

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March 9, 1999
Web posted at: 9:12 p.m. EST (0212 GMT)

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In this story:

Blame spreads to 3 administrations

China denies spying

GOP: More spying than we realize

Post-Lewinsky nuclear uproar

RELATED STORIES, SITES

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A CIA-led task force is assessing how much damage may have been done to U.S. national security by an alleged Chinese agent at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, U.S. officials said Tuesday.

The interagency group is also investigating several other "less serious" leaks of information and alleged security carelessness at other nuclear weapons laboratories, officials said.

The task force's report -- which will include recommendations on how to tighten security at the Sandia Laboratories in New Mexico and the Lawrence Livermore laboratory in California -- is expected to reach Congress in a few weeks.

The Taiwan-born computer scientist, Wen Ho Lee, was dismissed Monday from his job at Los Alamos after a three-year espionage investigation determined that he may have helped mainland China steal technology allowing it to develop much smaller nuclear warheads.

A senior administration official told CNN, however, it is "unlikely" that the scientist, who is in his 50s, will be charged with any criminal offense, since there is not enough hard evidence against him.

"The notion that this guy is another Rosenberg is sort of silly," said the official.

Blame spreads to 3 administrations

Gore says the U.S. remains committed to diplomatic relations with China
The espionage at the Los Alamos nuclear research laboratory allegedly happened during the 1980s, when Republicans Ronald Reagan and George Bush were in the White House.

State Department spokesman James Rubin denied Tuesday that the Clinton administration had been lax in protecting U.S. interests.

"We have no illusions about China's desire to acquire sensitive information and technology for military uses by many different means. It is absolutely not true that we downplayed any evidence of this. We took the issue seriously, as our actions demonstrate," Rubin said.

Vice President Al Gore also denied charges the Clinton administration was slow in responding to the alleged theft of nuclear warhead design information discovered in 1995.

"This happened in the previous administration, and the law enforcement agencies have pressed it and pursued it aggressively with our full support," he said in an interview for CNN's Late Edition.

"And in the course of this, what developed was a brand-new presidential directive that fixed problems that we had inherited and changed and vastly improved the procedures in the national laboratory system," Gore added.

Gore was the highest-ranking U.S. official to comment on the allegations since they were disclosed Saturday by The New York Times.

The vice president said that despite the new allegations, the administration is committed to its policy of "constructive engagement" with China.

"China is the most populous country in the world. Its economy is growing, and its role in the world is going to continue to grow whether we want that or not," he said.

China denies spying

China has said the allegations are unfounded and are designed to undermine improved relations between Washington and Beijing.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao believes the allegations are meant to undermine China-U.S. relations
"This also demonstrates a present trend for some people to try to hamper the normal export by the U.S. of some high-tech products to China, and hamper the improvement and development of China-U.S. relations," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao.

Critics charge that the administration's desire to increase U.S. exports to China caused it to delay action for too long -- leaving an allegedly untrustworthy scientist in his job with top security clearances.

But administration officials say Wen Ho Lee has been under FBI surveillance since 1997 while the FBI tried to build a case.

GOP: More spying than we realize

Senate Republicans criticized the Clinton administration for keeping mum on the apparent nuclear security breach and scheduled committee hearings next week to "further illuminate" the situation.

The hearings will be held before the Senate Intelligence Committee headed by Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Alabama), who suggested a security breach may extend beyond Los Alamos.

"I think there's probably a lot more of that going on in America than we realize," he said. "It is frightening.

"It leads you to ask the question: Was it politically expedient not to pursue information like this? Should it have been pursued in earlier years? Should it have been pursued before now? I'd say yes," added Shelby.

Rep. Chris Cox (R-California) is negotiating with the White House to declassify a 700-page report written by his special committee on technology transfers to China.

The report reveals security problems at the Sandia and Livermore facilities as well as Los Alamos. Congressional investigators in 1997 said thousands of foreign visitors were given access without adequate background checks.

"It's fair to infer that going back many years, and certainly extending all the way through this administration, precious little has been done when a great deal was required," Cox charged.

Some Chinese officials believe the uproar in Washington over alleged espionage has less to do with China and more to do with American politics.

As one person said, now that the Republicans no longer have Monica Lewinsky, they've latched onto China as the easiest way to bash Clinton.

-- AP - 3/09/99