SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE HOLDS A HEARING WITH THE COMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES ON THE LOSS OF NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION AT THE LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a joint hearing to examine the apparent loss of extremely sensitive national security information at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Committees heard from J.T. Glauthier, the Deputy Secretary of Energy; General Eugene Habiger, the Director of the Office of Security and Emergency Operations; Ed Curran, the Director of the Office of Counterintelligence; and Dr. John Browne, the Director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The Committees invited Secretary Richardson to testify, but he refused to appear.
Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-Ala.), the Committee Chairman, stated, "I am very disappointed that the Secretary chose to ignore his obligation to explain to the elected representatives of the American people what happened to the secrets in his care. What is clear, however, is that not long after Secretary Richardson assured the American people that our nuclear weapons secrets were safe and secure, some of our most sensitive and critical nuclear weapons data vanished. I didn't hear anything today that gives me confidence that this couldn't happen again. I am pleased, however, that as a result of this hearing, the nomination of General John Gordon to be the first head of the National Nuclear Security Agency finally was brought to a vote. He was confirmed by unanimous vote."
Sen. Richard H. Bryan (D-Nev.), the Committee Vice Chairman, stated, "After today's hearing I am more concerned than ever about the security procedures enacted at Los Alamos since the Wen Ho Lee episode. To allow 26 people access to a vault without logging in and logging out, and without identifying what kind of material is removed - in this case, some of the most sensitive and highly classified information we have - is a security nightmare."
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