So, Why Did Wen Ho Lee Take the Data?

Re “Secrets, Lies and Media Privilege,” Commentary, Dec. 22: I continue to be amazed at Robert Scheer’s misleading portrayal of Wen Ho Lee.

Lee pleaded guilty to one count of mishandling of governmental data. True. What Scheer has failed to mention is that Lee downloaded the equivalent of 250,000 pages or more of nuclear weapons information from a classified computer -- at about midnight on a Christmas Eve, among other times -- and then smuggled the magnetic tapes of data out of Los Alamos National Laboratories. Whether or not some of the data had been declassified is irrelevant; it was taken from a classified computer.

Why doesn’t Scheer explain exactly what Lee was going to do with that data?

Hugh Rose

Newhall

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Scheer again lashes out at “the government” for its dealing with the dreadful issue of scientist Lee. He doesn’t once mention that the unfair treatment of Lee was done under Atty. Gen. Janet Reno of Bill Clinton’s government. Wake up, Robert Scheer!

Maurine Reedy Ruzek

Los Angeles