[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 90 (Wednesday, June 23, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7483-S7486]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE CLINTON NATIONAL SECURITY SCANDAL AND COVERUP

  Mr. INHOFE. Mr. President, I ask that you listen again. I am going to 
pick up on the incredible but true story of the Clinton 
administration's betrayal of national security and the scandalous 
coverup that continues as we speak. In doing so, I fully realize that 
the majority of Americans will not believe me. They have continued to 
believe our President even after he has demonstrated over and over that 
he has no regard for the truth.
  Though you would never realize it by listening to the national media 
or the Clinton spin doctors, the recently released Cox Report has 
revealed a wealth of information on how the Clinton administration has 
undermined national security to simultaneously pursue its misguided 
foreign policies and self-serving domestic political agendas.
  On the one hand, there is the mind-boggling story of how the Clinton 
administration deliberately changed almost 50 years of bipartisan 
security policies--relaxing export restrictions, signing waivers to 
allow technology transfers, ignoring China's violation of arms control 
agreements, and its theft of our nuclear secrets, opening up even more 
nuclear and high technology floodgates to China and others--thus 
harming U.S. national security.
  On the other hand, there is the continuing coverup--the effort to 
hide from Congress and the American people the true damage that has 
been done to national security and the Clinton administration's central 
role in allowing so much of it to happen on their watch.

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  Over three months ago--on March 15--I spoke on this floor about 
China's theft of the W-88 nuclear warhead. To remind you, this is the 
crown jewel of our nuclear arsenal. It is the warhead that has 10 times 
the explosive power of the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and yet 
just a fraction its size. I spoke about how serious this was to our 
national security--how it was a story with life and death implications 
for millions of Americans.
  I told how President Clinton was directly responsible for downplaying 
the significance of and covering up this story. While the information 
on the W-88 design--the crown jewel of our nuclear arsenal--was stolen 
in the late 1980's, the theft was first discovered in 1995 by this 
administration. So people remember, it was the Chinese walk-in 
informant to the CIA that gave us all this information. I told how it 
was this administration and this President who deliberately covered up 
this vital information from Congress and the American people and, at 
the same time, lulled our people into a false sense of security by 
repeating the lie that there were no nuclear missiles targeted at 
America's children.
  At that time, I spoke of six proven incontrovertible facts, and let 
me repeat them now:
  1. President Clinton hosted over 100 campaign fundraisers in the 
White House, many with Chinese connections.
  2. President Clinton used John Huang, Charlie Trie, Johnny Chung, 
James Riady, and others with strong Chinese ties to raise campaign 
money.
  3. President Clinton signed waivers to allow his top campaign 
fundraiser's aerospace company to transfer U.S. missile guidance 
technology to China.
  4. President Clinton covered up the theft of our most valuable 
nuclear weapons technology.
  5. President Clinton lied to the American people over 130 times about 
our nation's security while he knew Chinese missiles were aimed at 
American children.
  6. President Clinton single-handedly stopped the deployment of a 
national missile defense system, exposing every American life to a 
missile attack, leaving America with no defense whatsoever against an 
intercontinental ballistic missile.
  On March 15, I began my speech by asking the American people to 
listen as I told them ``a story of espionage, conspiracy, deception, 
and cover-up--a story with life and death implications for millions of 
Americans--a story about national security and a President and an 
administration that deliberately chose to put national security at 
risk, while telling the people everything was fine.''
  In the three months since I made these statements, none has been 
refuted.
  Now, I come before you to tell some of the rest of the story that we 
have learned since March 15. And it is a truly astounding story. We 
thought the W-88 story was bad--and it is. But with the release of the 
Cox Report last month, the American people have been presented with 
documented evidence that the harm President Clinton has done to U.S. 
national security is enormously worse than we thought.
  On March 15, I said that, as damaging as the W-88 breach was, I 
believed we had not yet scratched the surface of the national security 
scandal exposed by this one revelation. I must say that I was right--
even beyond my own worst fears.
  Let's not be distracted by the self-serving Clinton spin: that 
everybody does it; that it all happened during previous 
administrations; that this is only about security at the nuclear 
weapons lab; that there is equal blame to go around on all sides; that 
President Clinton acted quickly and properly when he found out; and 
that the only problem is now being fixed.
  I am here today to tell you that all of this is wrong. The Clinton 
spin is nothing more than a dishonest smokescreen designed to divert 
attention from the real issues. It is also, I believe, an attempt to 
dissuade people from actually reading the Cox Report and discovering 
for themselves that the Clinton spin is a snare, a delusion, and a lie.
  This is why I want to take some time to walk through some of the more 
important revelations in the Cox Report and to remind my colleagues 
that we have an obligation to tell the American people the truth--the 
truth that the media is inexplicably ignoring and that the President 
seems to hope the people will never find out on their own.
  First, let us begin with a simple fact: Sixteen of the 17 most 
significant major technology breaches revealed in the Cox Report were 
first discovered after 1994. With the lone exception of the W-70 
technology that was discovered back in the 1970's during the Clinton 
administration, all the rest of them were discovered since 1994. Again, 
that is when they had the individual who came into the CIA and exposed 
all of those.
  Let me repeat--sixteen of the 17 most significant major technology 
breaches revealed in the Cox Report were first discovered during the 
Clinton administration. Those who tell you otherwise are willfully 
lying to you.
  Second, of the remaining 16 technology breaches, one definitely 
occurred during the Reagan administration--the W-88 Trident D-5. Seven 
occurred sometime before 1995, though it is unclear exactly when. And 
eight occurred--without question--during the Clinton administration.
  Let's take a closer look at these. The seven that occurred before 
1995 included breaches of information on all of the currently deployed 
nuclear warheads in the U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile 
arsenal: the W-56 Minuteman II; the W-62 Minuteman III; the W-76 
Trident C-4; the W-78 Minuteman Mark 12A; and the W-87 Peacekeeper. In 
addition, there was the breach of classified information on reentry 
vehicles, the heat shield that protects warheads as they reenter the 
Earth's atmosphere when delivered by long-range ballistic missiles.
  Let me repeat that all of these technology breaches were first 
discovered in 1995. They were discovered when a Chinese ``walk-in'' 
agent actually approached the CIA at a location outside of China and 
handed them a secret Chinese government document containing state-of-
the-art classified information about the W-88 and the other U.S. 
nuclear warheads. We still don't know why he did this, but he did.
  The Cox Report also tells us that the Energy Department and FBI 
investigations of this matter have focused exclusively on the loss of 
the W-88, which we know happened around 1988. There have been no 
investigations undertaken about the loss of the other warheads, the 
timing of whose loss cannot be as clearly pinned down.
  Next, we move to the other eight major technology breaches revealed 
in the Cox Report. All of these were not only first discovered during 
the Clinton administration, they also happened during the Clinton 
administration:
  No. 1, the transfer of the so-called Legacy Codes containing data on 
50 years of U.S. nuclear weapons development including over 1,000 
nuclear tests;
  No. 2, the sale and diversion to military purposes of hundreds of 
high performance computers enabling China to enhance its development of 
nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and advanced military aviation 
equipment;
  No. 3, the theft of nuclear warhead simulation technology enhancing 
China's ability to perfect miniature nuclear warheads without actual 
testing;
  No. 4, the theft of advanced electromagnetic weapons technology 
useful in the development of anti-satellite and anti-missile systems;
  No. 5, the transfer of missile nose cone technology enabling China to 
substantially improve the reliability of its intercontinental ballistic 
missiles;
  No. 6, the transfer of missile guidance technology (by President 
Clinton to China) enabling China to substantially improve the accuracy 
of its ballistic missiles--these same missiles that are targeting U.S. 
cities;
  No. 7, the theft of space-based radar technology giving China the 
ability to detect our previously undetectable submerged submarines; and
  No. 8, the theft of some other ``classified thermonuclear weapons 
information'' which ``the Clinton administration'' (not the Cox 
committee) ``has determined . . . cannot be made public.''
  We used to think China was decades behind us in terms of building a 
modern advanced nuclear arsenal. Now we learn that, later this year, 
China is planning to test its new JL-2 long range ICBM, a submarine 
launched ballistic missile with MIRV capability--meaning multiple 
independently targeted warheads on each missile--almost a replica of 
our Trident ICBM.

[[Page S7485]]

This missile will have a range of over 13,000 kilometers and could 
reach anywhere in the United States from protected Chinese waters.
  In addition, we know that China has been helping North Korea, among 
others, with weapons and technology. North Korea is also expected to 
test its long range Taepo Dong II missile later this year.
  I am reminded of something that happened last August when I made a 
request to sort of see where we were and where North Korea was in terms 
of a threat to the United States.
  In a letter that I received from General Shelton, who was depending 
on our intelligence system for his response, he said it would be at 
least three years before the North Koreans would have a multiple-stage 
rocket. That was August 24. Seven days later, on August 31, they fired 
a multiple-stage rocket.
  I remind my colleagues we have no defense against either of these 
potential threats, because of the policy decisions of the Clinton 
administration. Someone very smart back in 1983 determined that we 
would need a national missile defense system in place by Fiscal Year 
98. We were on track to meet the deadline until 1993 when President 
Clinton, through his veto power, stopped this missile defense system.
  But as the Cox Report points out, nuclear espionage by China is only 
one part of the problem. China's efforts to acquire U.S. military 
related technology is pervasive. Operating through a maze of government 
and quasi-government entities and front companies, China has 
established a technology gathering network of immense proportions.
  The Congressman from Pennsylvania, Congressman Curt Weldon, has done 
extensive research in putting this together, and other charts to show 
exactly what capacity China has to collect our nuclear secrets.
  When there is time to look at it, it shows you operational entities 
of the Chinese military in red, the Chinese military entities and those 
in contact involving financial entities in green, and you have the 
Chinese military front companies in blue.
  You can see that this is well thought out. It took many years to put 
it together to make it effective.
  They are willing and able to trade, bribe, buy, or steal to get U.S. 
advanced technology--all for the purpose of enhancing their long-term 
military potential. Their success is often determined largely by our 
willingness to make it easier for them to get what they want.
  The Cox Report has shed light on the fact that the Clinton 
administration has actually helped China in its technology acquisition 
efforts or made it easier for them to commit thefts and espionage. You 
know the truth is always difficult and controversy is difficult. It is 
easier to take polls and tell people what they want to hear. But I have 
to make a decision--who do I love more--this President or America.
  I find that to be very easy in this case.
  The following are just some of the things that the Clinton 
administration has done. And I want to applaud Congressman Weldon for 
helping to bring many of these things to light.
  No. 1, in 1993, the Clinton administration removed the color-coded 
security badges that had been used for years at Energy weapons labs 
claiming they were ``discriminatory''--as if that makes any sense 
whatsoever. Now just a few weeks ago, in the wake of all these 
revelations, the Energy Department has reinstated the color-coded 
badges.
  But during the time that these thefts took place, they were not able 
to wear these badges.
  No. 2, in 1993, the Clinton administration put a hold on doing FBI 
background checks for lab workers and visitors, an action which helped 
to dramatically increase the number of people going to the labs who 
would previously have not been allowed to have access.
  No. 3, in 1995, the Clinton administration took the extraordinary 
action of overturning its own agency's decision to revoke the security 
clearance of an employee found guilty of breaching classified 
information. When this happened, it sent a message to employees 
throughout the Department, that this administration was not serious 
about countering breaches of classified information.
  No. 4, the Clinton administration deliberately, and many would say 
recklessly, declassified massive amounts of nuclear-related information 
in what the Clinton administration touted as a new spirit of openness.
  No. 5., in the W-88 investigation, the Clinton administration turned 
down four requests for wiretaps on a suspect who was identified in 1996 
and allowed to stay in his sensitive job until news reports surfaced in 
1999.
  No. 6, in 1995, someone at the Department of Energy gave a classified 
design diagram of the W-87 nuclear warhead to U.S. News & World Report 
magazine which printed it in its July 31 issue that year. 
Representative Curt Weldon is still trying to get answers about how 
this leak was investigated and what was determined. He has good reason 
to believe the investigation was quashed because it was going to lead 
straight to President Clinton's Energy Secretary.
  No. 7, career whistle-blowers at the Department of Energy who tried 
to warn of serious security breaches--including Notra Trulock, the 
former Director of Intelligence for the Energy Department, and Ed 
McCallum, the former Security and Safeguards Chief--were thwarted for 
years by Clinton political appointees who refused to let them brief 
Congress and others about what they knew. Trulock was demoted but will 
now get to keep his job. McCallum appears to be on his way to being 
scapegoated and perhaps fired for trying to tell the truth.
  Members will remember we had extensive hearings. Notra Trulock 
testified under oath that he thought that the theft of the W-88 was so 
significant, he wanted to give it to Congress. He was refused being 
allowed to do that by the then-Acting Secretary of the Energy 
Department.
  No. 8, rejecting advice from his Secretaries of State and Defense, 
President Clinton approved switching the licensing authority for 
satellites and other technology from the State Department to the 
Commerce Department, making it easier for China to acquire U.S. missile 
technology.
  No. 9, President Clinton granted waivers making it easier for U.S. 
companies to transfer missile and satellite technology to China during 
the launching of U.S. satellites on China's rockets.
  No. 10, in 1994, President Clinton ended COCOM, the Coordinating 
Committee on Multinational Export Control, the multinational agreement 
among U.S. friends and allies that they would not sell certain high-
technology items to countries like China. When this happened, it opened 
the commercial floodgates. Ever since, there has been a wild scramble 
for competition to sell more and more advanced technology to China. As 
a result, the proliferation has never been worse than it has been in 
the last 6 years.
  No. 11, in a series of decisions throughout his Presidency--and many 
surrounding the 1996 election--Clinton has consistently relaxed export 
and trade restrictions on various forms of high technology of interest 
to China.
  Again, I applaud Congressman Weldon who put this chart together. This 
timeline was not put together because President Clinton took office in 
1993, but that is when all the compromises took place. This timeline 
shows categories including machine tools, telecommunications, 
propulsion. All were compromised, or as we normally say stolen.
  No. 12, President Clinton has ignored or downplayed numerous Chinese 
arms control violations by not imposing sanctions required by law. 
While we are selling more and more high tech to China, China is sending 
prohibited military technology to countries such as Pakistan, Iran, 
North Korea, Syria, Libya and Egypt.
  What does the Clinton administration do? They do nothing. What are 
the motives for all this? Why did the Clinton administration act the 
way it did, with almost total disregard for any traditional concern for 
U.S. national security?
  The Cox Report did not answer these questions because it was only 
concerned with the facts of the security breaches themselves, not what 
was behind it.
  But FBI Director Louis Freeh did assign one man to look into this. 
His name was Charles LaBella, who became head of the Justice 
Department's China Task Force. He and his investigators

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spend months looking into the connections, trying to connect the dots 
with campaign contributions, foreign influences and administration 
actions. What he found is laid out in a 100-page memo he prepared for 
Janet Reno. We know this memo argues in favor of the appointment of an 
independent counsel to carry on the investigation.
  But the memo itself has reminded secret, even through it has been 
subpoenaed by Congress. Janet Reno, who rejected its recommendation for 
an independent counsel, has refused to release the memo to the Congress 
or to the public. It is time for that memo to be released.
  FBI Director Freeh has testified that the public knows only about one 
percent of what the FBI knows about the Chinagate scandal. It is time 
for the truth to come out. It is time for the public to get some sense 
of the other 99 percent which is contained in the LaBella memo.
  Mr. President, over the last six years, President Clinton and his 
administration have shown a pervasive disregard for national security. 
In both actions and inactions, this President has broken ranks with the 
bipartisan consensus about national security that helped us win the 
cold war.
  His policies and attitudes-towards export controls, nuclear weapons, 
militarily important high technology, and dealing with our adversaries 
in the world--have been strikingly different from those of all of his 
predecessors in the modern era.
  His administration has acted as if the end of the cold war gave them 
carte blanche license to open the commercial and technology floodgates 
to countries like china simply because it was good for business, or 
good for getting campaign contributions, or good for other domestic 
political reasons.
  The traditional concern about national security--about protecting our 
nuclear secrets, about maintaining our military and technological 
superiority, about sanctioning those in the world who engaged in 
flagrant and hostile espionage and proliferation--all that went out the 
window, replaced by other priorities this President somehow thought 
were more important.
  President Clinton claims he has ``redefined'' national security. In 
fact--as the Cox Report conclusively documents--he has ``harmed'' 
national security. This is the message that every American must 
understand.
  My hope is that we never again have a President who is so 
disrespectful of, and inattentive to, traditional national security 
concerns.
  Yesterday at the joint hearing of the Armed Services, Energy and 
Intelligence Committees, I asked whether or not it would be possible to 
put in place some safeguards so that no future President could ever 
again so successfully undo the country's national security defenses as 
this President has. We are working on an answer.
  Some of us will continue to speak, out--seeing it as our highest duty 
of public service. As I said on March 15--and repeat again here today--
I only hope America is listening. We have a nation to save.
  The truth will get out. Winston Churchill said:

       Truth is incontrovertible: Panic may resent it, ignorance 
     may deride it, malice may destroy it, but there it is.

  I yield back the remainder of my time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Roberts). The Senator from Massachusetts.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak in 
morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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