WHL timeline
Category: Other
Updated: 11 Apr 2021
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Created byKen Struble
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eventWen Ho Lee is hired at Los Alamos National laboratoryNew
eventLee calls a scientist suspected of stealing neutron bomb secrets from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The FBI eavesdrops on the call and investigates Mr. Lee who passes a polygraph testMr Lee begins to transfer nuclear bomb data from a classified computer system at Los Alamos to an unclassified network open to outsiders.Mr Lee delivers a paper at scientific conference in BeijingLee's wife, Sylvia, a secretary at Los Alamos, becomes an informant for the FBI, providinh information on visiting chinese delegationsMr Lee delivers another paper at a conference in BeijingScientists at Los Alamos tell Energy Department intelligence officials that they suspect China has stolenm the designs of the W-88, America's most advanced nuclear warhead. Later, the CIS obtains a 1988 Chiese document with specific references to W-88 technology. The search for a mole begins.Mr Lee makes the last of the known unauthorized transfers of classified computer files, containing millions of lines of secret computer code.Energy officials brief the deputy national securioty adviser, Samuel E. Berger, about the case and the FBI opens a criminal inquiryThe Justice Department rejects the FBIs request to be allowed to monitor Mr. Lee's phone and computer. FBI officials, saying there is no longer an investigative reason to keep Mr. Lee in a sensitive job, tell the Energy Departmnet he can be moved out of areas with U.S. secrets. But Energy and Los Alamos officials instead give Mr. Lee another sensitive job. The White House is briefed in greater detail.President Clinton signs an order calling for tougher counterintelligence measures at national labs.The FBI conducts a sting operation, with agents posing as Chinese spies to try to get Mr. Lee to incriminate himself. He rebuffs them.Counterintelligence experts send a 25-page report to senior national security officials warning of China's interest in stealing secrets from the computer systems at Government weapons labs.Mr. Lee fails a polygraph test, and then deletes more than 1,000 computer files containing enormous amounts of secret data that he had moved to an unclassified system.Mr. Lee allows the FBI to search his office computer. Evidence of the deletions is found; a reconstruction of the files reveals that he had downloaded all the legacy codes and accompanying data, which jeapordizes U.S. nuclear arsenal. Mr. Lee is fired from Los Alamos for security violations.Energy Secretary Bill Richardson orders all classified computer systems at Los Alamos and two other labs to be shut down for two weeks for security improvements.Mr. Lee develops a relationship with the FBI, providing useful information to the bureau in at least one case.
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