Bill Richardson

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson testified at the Senate hearing on June 21 stating: “The FBI has now determined that these are the authentic disk drives. So far there is no evidence of espionage, nor is there evidence that the drives have ever left the Los Alamos X Division.”

What a contrast to the hysteria in the case of Wen Ho Lee. There was no evidence of espionage after three years of intensive investigation, nor is there any evidence that the tapes downloaded by Lee have ever been found outside the lab. But this guy is locked up in solitary anyway.

Apparently there are double standards used by Richardson to draw wild conclusions and make difficult-to-substantiate statements simply for the purpose of getting himself cleared of any wrongdoing.

LESTER H. LEE

Sunnyvale

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On the brighter side, Supt. Roy Weaver of Bandelier National Monument is to be commended. Athough the prescribed burn he ordered ruined more than 200 homes in Los Alamos, without it we probably would still not know the top-secret hard drives had been missing in the Los Alamos lab.

DERMING WANG

Diamond Bar

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As far as energy secretaries go, Bill Clinton is batting zero. First there was Hazel O’Leary, who was involved in one scandal after another, and now Richardson. Remember a while ago, when he told us not to worry about the nation’s security? Remember a few months ago, when he told us that the soaring gasoline prices would be coming down this summer? Yet this is the same Richardson who is still being praised by Clinton-Gore sycophants and being considered as Al Gore’s running mate.

ROBERT L. FRANZ

Placentia