Posted on 10/24/2006 7:24:51 PM PDT by sonsofliberty2000
(CBS) Another apparent breach of classified material is under federal investigation at the nation's premier nuclear weapons laboratory: Los Alamos National Laboratory, sources tell CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson.
The breach apparently was discovered when Los Alamos police recently conducted a methamphetamine raid on an area home. Inside the house, along with drug paraphernalia, police allegedly found classified materials apparently from the grounds of the Los Alamos Laboratory. How somebody involved in illegal drugs would also have access to classified materials from the nation's nuclear weapons facility is unknown but under investigation.
The home is believed to belong to a Los Alamos Laboratory contractor who does maintenance at the laboratory.
The FBI has been called in to lead the investigation into the security breach and executed a search warrant on Friday. The U.S. attorney's office in Albuquerque, N.M., is reviewing the case.
The Los Alamos Laboratory has been hit by multiple security and management scandals in recent years. Problems were so widespread that Congress forced the contract for management of the lab to go up for bid for the first time ever. However, after bidding, the contract was re-awarded to the same contractor: the University of California.
Los Alamos public affairs officials will only confirm the matter is under investigation.
Actually, after every breach, they say it's "an isolated incident". Considering recent history, I wouldn't be surprised if "an analyst" turned out to be involved.
Isn't this cleanup from another Clinton/Richardson fumble?
Who else wants to start a pool for the time it'll take for the enemedia to blame this on Bush?
That was my first thought when I heard the first reports. Now that this report mentions a "contractor who does maintenance at the laboratory", I have to wonder if the person is Mexican.
Either way, any bets on whether the person is a legal resident of the US?
Love your tagline :)
True, but the AP reporter may have heard police say "environmental engineer" and thought scientist instead of janitor.
This is MSM we're talking about.
"The federal charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum sentence of a year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine. "
Good grief! Why isn't this a felony with a "throw away the key" punishment. The damage is tremendous and cannot be undone.
So then this article is inaccurate since it says "contractor."
I do hope this story does not get squashed in the days ahead.
from the other thread. let's see if the story changes from it being a scientist, to a janitor.
"WASHINGTON - A drug raid on a Los Alamos scientist's home in New Mexico turned up what appeared to be classified documents taken from the nuclear weapons lab, the FBI said Tuesday.
Police discovered the documents at the scientist's home while making an arrest in a methamphetamine investigation, according to an FBI official in Washington who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case.
The police alerted the FBI to the documents, prompting a federal search of the unidentified female scientist's home. The official would not describe the documents except to say that they appeared to contain classified material."
So you are leaning towards it being a female contractor rather than a female scientist?
that's a bit of an overstatement - selling the docs to a foreign power is one thing, but the handling protocol for them can sometimes be violated in a totally innocent way.
how does a janitor get access to classified documents?
Must be the laundry man.
That's seems to be what the evidence is pointing to.
I believe that's what Sandy Burglar got charged with.
I suppose that should put us at somewhat more ease, i.e., if it is a methamphetamine-imbibing janitor with classified documents rather than a methamphetamine-imbibing scientist with classified documents.
LOL. It's growing more and more difficult for us to make such stories up out of whole cloth, isn't it? And we don't need to since this is real life.
"Why isn't this a felony with a "throw away the key" punishment. The damage is tremendous and cannot be undone."
Because it wouldn't leave a loophole for Sandy Burglar!
Since the perp can't be categorized as a white, male, right-wing-Christian-extremist gun nut with an NRA membership, the FBI is oblivious to the obvious fact that the perp was selling national security secrets to pay for a drug habit.
I want to smack heads together and print up a bumper sticker saying "FBI: Oblivious to the Obvious". Or T shirts. T shirts would be better.
Careless workers who toss them in the wastebasket instead of disposing of them properly. Careless workers who leave them open on their desk. Janitors have the same clearances of those who work in the area. (So to cops and firemen.)
How does an illegal alien get access to our Social Security numbers so they can work in our country?
Well, we need to get Greaseball Richardson on the case immediately!
Lock down all Xerox machines, and be sure they're pushed against the wall, check all lunch boxes for contraband, be sure no secret notes are being written on the toilet paper!
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