-Caveat Lector- Thursday June 24 9:01 PM ET Richardson Visits Nuclear Scientists By H. JOSEF HEBERT Associated Press Writer LOS ALAMOS, N.M. (AP) - Energy Secretary Bill Richardson sought to reassure Asian-American scientists at the Los Alamos weapons complex Thursday that their loyalty is not in question, but he got the most heated feedback on another subject - polygraph testing. Richardson, making his first visit to the weapons research lab since the Chinese espionage furor erupted in March, met in a packed auditorium with about 600 workers, including Asian-Americans, to hear their grievances. Later, he held a similar session at the Sandia lab near Albuquerque. ``Talk to me candidly, don't sugarcoat it,'' he urged the scientists. Some of them took him to heart. If he's asking scientists to take a lie detector test, shouldn't he do the same and ``lead by example?'' one man in the audience asked. ``I might,'' replied Richardson. Another questioner wanted a firmer commitment. ``I am prepared to take it,'' he said, adding that he didn't want to shift attention to the issue of his plans to take the test and away from the issue of discrimination and concerns about Asian-Americans. ``Asian-Americans feel their patriotism is being questioned ... and that their careers will suffer as a result,'' said Richardson. The Energy Department has said it will require as many as 5,000 scientists and employees with top-secret clearance to undergo polygraph tests, beginning within months. No scientists have yet been tested, but some officials in counterintelligence have been. At Los Alamos, more than a third of the questions dealt with the polygraph issue. The subject was also the lead question later in the day at the Sandia lab. ``No one is concerned about security more than I am,'' said Alan Zelicoff, a scientist at Sandia. But he told Richardson, widespread polygraph testing was ``a divisive tool'' that ``will undoubtedly harm individuals.'' Richardson said the tests will be ``unfocused'' and deal only with security issues and not the ``lifestyle'' of scientists and lab workers. Richardson announced a special task force that includes Yvonne Lee, head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, will look into allegations of discrimination against Asian-Americans since the uproar over Chinese espionage at weapons labs began in March. ``The concern has been expressed that Asian-Americans are being unfairly profiled,'' Richardson said in an interview as he flew to Los Alamos after a visit earlier in the day to the Savannah River nuclear facility in South Carolina. He said Asian-American workers at Los Alamos and Sandia had asked him to come to discuss his concerns that their loyalty was being questioned unfairly. ``The constant drumbeat of criticism has affected morale (at the labs) and I'm concerned it may affect recruitment,'' said Richardson. The espionage controversy has centered on a Taiwan-born scientist, Wen Ho Lee, who was fired March 8 for security violations after being under investigation for alleged espionage since 1996. Lee has not been charged with a crime and there has been growing doubt whether enough evidence will be gathered to lead to a prosecution for espionage. Lee has denied giving secrets to China. Richardson, both at Los Alamos and later at Sandia, said he did not want problems involving a single individual to ``besmirch'' the lab's scientists, especially Asian-Americans. About 3 percent of the 7,000 workers at Los Alamos are Asian-American. -- The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them. - Henry David Thoreau DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
