Comments on: Nuclear Lab Breach Could Be 'Devastating'

CBS News Exclusive: Data Found In Drug Raid Contains Weapons-Design Secrets

[xenos22]

I see CBS (Clinton Broadcasting Network) is still trying to pull an October suprise to get Bush. Every knows that Clinton's polcies allowed this to happen so we can't be fooled.

[jh20201]

I now read the backstory on the drug bust, which answered a couple of my questions. Quintana is/was a contract worker, not a GS-? civil servant. On this, we can call out the GOP trolls, because they are the party who looooves privatization of services, which averts public accountability as it lines pockets of rich friends who can help you "win" elections.

The bust, itself, still is curious to me. A supposed call about a "possible" domestic fight (super minor excuse to go out). When they found meth PARAPHERNALIA (miniscule, barely, rarely worthy of prosecution), local police then took three USB stips ... but not the laptops or their hard drives, if we are to believe the reporting.

That scenario doesn't add up, but I'm inclined to blame poor reporting. CBS needs to ask more questions.

[jh20201]

What are the details of this drug case? Was she growing her own pot, for example, or something that might put her in big leagues?

Drug and weapons smuggling go hand in hand (remember Iran-Contra?), and a border state has easy access for land-based smuggling.

What was the source of information that led to the drug bust? Was it all a local investigation, bust, or was the FBI the original source of information (odd, for a "routine" bust -- ATF, maybe, but not FBI as originator if solely a drug case until the laptop found).

What were the qualifications Quintana met to get such security clearance at 22 or younger? That's unheard of, unless a parent is very important or you were a CIA college recruit.

It just doesn't happen that any Joe off the street gets that clearance so young.

And, what was the job she was supposed to be doing that could be done at home with these files? She is a GS-?, what civil service job title? It's pertinent public record to report before readers make any judgment.

At 22, what was her career expertise? A clerk setting up file numbers, or a nuclear expert who was to do research that necessitated online at-home work (yipes!)?

[snorton711]

It's a new ploy for the goverment, they will close this place,retire everyone and open up the new US online poker betting web site in this facility. They finaly figured out the profits generated by poker would be better than trying to secure twenty year old nuke info they can't secure anyway. I THINK THE NEW WEB SITE IS CALLED "STEALTH POKER".gov.

[taters_]

Wow,the blame Clinton for anything and everything crowd is never too faraway...how's that koolaid? Unbelievable.

[koko87505]

It's Clinton's fault because he appointed Hazel O'Leary (easily the dumbest Energy Sec we've ever had except maybe for Pena). She laid the groundwork for relaxing security requirements. It's taken a while for these changes to have their effect and now the wheels are coming off. One other fact not so well known to outsiders. Before she came on board DOE had color coded badges that made it easy to identify clearance levels. Uncleared folks had red badges that stood out in a crowd. She felt this was "discriminatory" and changed the system so everyone had the same color badges (green badges). This made it very difficult to know who had clearances and who did not. Fortunately DOE went back to the color coded system as soon as she left but many of her "open door" policy changes are still in effect.

[gramto7]

You can be reasonbly sure that this person did not work at Los Alamos during Clinton's presidency. She would have been far too young. Therefore, she was hired on Bush's watch, under his DOE cabinet choice. How does this translate back to being Clinton's fault?

[wvopfor81]

Firststate sorry you did not see the %u201C quotation marks %u201C on the post. Qazxs said it all and it was worth repeating.. thx for your sincere interest %u2026..signed%u2026.. WV
Notice the Q marks

"I don't know why all you people keep focusing on Bush and all this other ***. The Presidency is just a temporary position. Do you really think a temporary position is making all of the decision? If so, I have some beach fornt property to sell you in Arizona. He is nothing more than a head for people to blame. Open your eyes.

And towards the person who commented on my comment about the Q clearences. I never said just because they do alot of backgorund checks everything will be ok. All I was saying that they do alot to ensure people who have Qs should have them, and just because someone has one does not mean they will not do something wrong. What Jessica did was very wrong, but it is nto the process of the FBI's fault. " by qazxswqwer

[koko87505]

Most of the security problems at Los Alamos stem back to the Clinton Administration when Hazel O'Leary signed a DOE Order that relaxed a requirement to barcode and track Secret Restricted Data (SRD). Before the Order was put into effect all SRD documents were checked in and out and individuals were held accountable for the documents until they were returned. Although there are still requirements to safeguard these documents it's totally up to the individual. The weapon labs are operated according to DOE's Orders and it is DOE that is ultimately responsible when a breakdown in the system happens. In this case you have a person (with a security clearance issued by DOE after extensive background checks by the Office of Personnel Management and the FBI) who willfully violated the rules. She took home SRD documents (blatantly against the rules). With the DOE compliant safeguards that are currently in place there's no systematic way to prevent this. There's no DOE requirement for routine searches of personnel leaving secure facilities. There are random searches but they are few and far between. You depend on the trustworthiness of the individual that is inferred by them having a clearance. Unless the taxpayers wants to spend a few hundred more million dollars (security is expensive) to put airtight security procedures in place they will have to be satisfied with the current system which relies heavily on the trustworthiness of individuals.

[bluestardad]

AMERICA IS WAKING UP, IT IS ABOUT TIME.

[pauly45-2009]

I cannot understand why they would entrust someone so young with such a high security clearance.

I'd be willing to bet right now, that she is related to someone in Congress, and this is how she got her job.

[bonncaruso]

Lot's of venom being spewed here, but the fact is, this story should be THE headline in every paper in the union.

I think most people have no idea how really BAD this is. No one knows how many times those USB-sticks were copied. We can only pray that all launch codes have already been changed.

[newsthought1]

Cabot writes "Nice of Bill Clinton to relax the requirements for security clearances. Used to be, drug use disqualified you. Now, it's just any use in the past few years. Now, surprise!, our nuclear secrets end up in the hands of a drug dealer. Democrats are completely not to be trusted with national security."

Cabot, you are CRAZY if you think you can pin this on Clinton. This trailer owner is 22 years old. Do you think she got her Q clearance when she was 16?? She had to have been hired under Bush. If the republicans were on the ball, you'd think that clearance policies would have gotten a review after a little thing like 9/11 or a War. And anyway, so far in this case, if you actually read it, there was a sting in the trailer this lady owned, but no one has yet accused her of using or dealing drugs. Her problem was taking work home against the rules, and you can't blame Clinton for that (I suppose YOU would...)

Republicans have already shown how they can screw up National Security, from trying to sell port security to an arab country, CIA leaks, ignoring memos like "Bin Laden determined to attack inside the United States", letting Bin Laden escape from Tora Bora, to falsifying reasons to go to war in Iraq and put our troops in harm's way without adequate armor, and keeping them there without a plan.

Enough is enough! These republicans cannot be trusted! It is TIME FOR A CHANGE!

[newsthought1]

ANGRY writes: "hmmmmm why on earth would the New York Times, the worlds most liberal newspaper release this info that they have had for years now" and "CBS never brodcast stories that would never otherwise make news simply to hurt the republicans....No what am I thinking."

Apparently you are NOT thinking. This story only happened after a drug bust about a week ago. Put down the Tequila and step away from the keyboard...

It is possible that this bomb info never left the trailer, but because it could have, or because there may be other leaks, this is scary. It was probably not wise of the government to reveal the name of the lady who knew too much. Hope after they bust her that they find a safe place to keep her, for her sake and ours.

[firststate]

WVopfor81, did you know that you posted the exact same comment as qazxswqwer? How many of you are in there? Do your personalities know about each other? Just be sure that one of you looks around in there. When Bush had his last colonoscopy, they said as soon as they turned the camera on they couldn%u2019t get Bush to stop blaming other people.

Angryliberal,
I know the media often use coherent sentences to express real thoughts, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing.

[shingles1]

Yeah, it's all a conspiracy!
And its all the media and the democrats' fault.
The Bush Administration is as pure as the driven snow. The can do NOTHING wrong. Ever.
You're not just ANGRY, you're unhinged.

So its OK to put up information that could be harmful to the US when Bush does it. However, when the NYT does it, according to you it's high treason. Do you NOT see the disconnect here?

I loved this line though: "Besides everyone knows HOW to make nukes".

Judging from the way you write, I don't think you'd be able to make a peanut butter sandwich let alone a nuclear bomb.

[veils-2009]

Let's not focus on what was found. Let's put our full attention to what could have been stolen and not yet discovered. This bust was by chance and the operation to remove secret information is amateurish.

Now what could have been stolen by a professional? This is the matter that deserves worry and attention.

The media down grades the value of the information as being 20 or so years old. But the atomic bombs from more than 50 years ago worked just fine.

We can be certain that North Korea and Iran would gladly take our 20 year old nuclear secrets. Who has them now?

[angryliberal-2009]

Is it just me or have we had more news in the last month than the whole year combined....hmmmmm, why could this be, I just know, it has to be for some reason.....hmmmmm why on earth would the New York Times, the worlds most liberal newspaper release this info that they have had for years now,.....let me guess, what could it possibly be....they have to be doing this for some reason....I dont know.

It cant be because of the election because the New York Times is fair and balanced news paper that doesnt take sides in elections. They are a company made up of serious journalists would wouldnt dare brodcast stories to benefit a political party. They only care about the truth and would never try to skew the facts...would they? And CBS wouldnt dare follow them in that agenda because CBS never brodcast stories that would never otherwise make news simply to hurt the republicans....No what am I thinking.

[angryliberal-2009]

MAybe Brian Ross will do an "investigative" report on how to build nukes and smuggle them into high security buildings to top this..lol.

[angryliberal-2009]

Why is this a big deal, the NYT, ABC, NBC, CNN, and CBS (and Ted Kennedy) have made a living brodcasting our national secrets to our enemies and they never apologized or tried to correct their F ups.

Just think all this because the democrats wanted more proof (besides the Kurds, English intelligence, and intel from Iraq) that sadaam had weapons of mass destruction. For once the BUSH Administration should say screw the democrats and just do whats best for the country...when democrats get involved it just puts our country at risk

Wow, this sounds like something CBS, ABC, the NEW YORK Times, or CNN would do....leak private information.

Undoubtedly CBS, ABC, CNN, NYT, and company made sure to let the terrorist know how to build nukes first.

NYT is just ticked because they didnt leak this info first...lol

Besides everyone knows HOW to make nukes, they just dont have the materials and the media knows that.