Congress Criticizes Energy Secretary for Lax Security at Los Alamos
GENE RANDALL, CNN ANCHOR: After lie detector questioning, the FBI is reportedly looking closely at only a few people who had access to two computer hard drives at the Los Alamos National Weapons Laboratory. The disks disappeared last month and mysteriously turned up on Friday. And while lawmakers in both parties have expressed concern for the nation's nuclear secrets, some Republicans are calling for heads to roll. CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace has a report.</s>KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee did not mince words.</s>SEN. RICHARD SHELBY (R-AL), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: It's time for Secretary Richardson to go.</s>WALLACE: That call as the investigation at Los Alamos National Laboratory continues into whether two computer hard drives, similar to this one, containing nuclear secrets were compromised. Secretary Bill Richardson said no evidence of espionage has been uncovered and then answered his critics.</s>BILL RICHARDSON, ENERGY SECRETARY: I will not take a back seat to those that say I have put in strong security measures at all our labs. That has been my No. 1 priority.</s>WALLACE: Richardson's security updates include ordering lie detector tests for some employees, that action after allegations surfaced early last year that Los Alamos nuclear scientist Wen Ho Lee may have mishandled classified information. Months later, the Energy secretary said he had matters under control.</s>RICHARDSON: I can assure the American people that their nuclear secrets are now safe at the labs.</s>WALLACE: Richardson now says he did not take into account resistance from scientists at Los Alamos, but the Senate majority leader said the problem goes way beyond Secretary Richardson.</s>SEN. TRENT LOTT (R-MS), MAJORITY LEADER: This administration has had a cavalier attitude about security from its beginning.</s>WALLACE: Republicans point to the disappearance of a highly classified State Department laptop and to former CIA Director John Deutch transferring secret documents to an unsecure home computer. Democrats had joined with Republicans in calling for a review of security procedures, some of which were put in place by previous administrations.</s>SEN. RICHARD BRYAN (D-NV), INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE: Back in '92, President Bush issued a directive which relaxed the handling of secret as opposed to top secret documents, eliminated the need for register or handling.</s>WALLACE: Secretary Richardson indicated he has no plans to step down, and the administration says it has full confidence in him. But his political future may be in doubt. His name has surfaced as a possible vice president candidate, but political observers think such a selection is now out of the question. Kelly Wallace, CNN, reporting live from the White House.