Nuclear Weapons Program Chief Dismissed

Energy Secretary Cites Security Flaws At Los Alamos Lab For Firing

(CBS/AP)  Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on Thursday announced the dismissal of the head of the U.S. nuclear weapons program because of security breakdowns at weapons facilities including the Los Alamos laboratory in the western state of New Mexico.

Linton Brooks is to submit his resignation as chief of the National Nuclear Security Administration this month, the department said.

Bodman said the NNSA under Brooks, a former ambassador and arms control negotiator, had failed to adequately correct security problems, so "I have decided it is time for new leadership at the NNSA."

Brooks was reprimanded last June for failing to report to Bodman that computers at an NNSA facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico, had been breached resulting in the theft of files containing Social Security numbers and other personal data from 1,500 workers.

In a statement, Brooks said "this is not a decision that I would have preferred, but it was made by a thoughtful and honorable man and is based on the principle of accountability that should govern all public service."

Last fall, security at the Los Alamos National Laboratory again came into question when during a drug raid classified nuclear-related documents were found at the home of a former Los Alamos lab employee with top secret clearance.

A department inspector general said that security breach was especially troubling because tens of millions of dollars had been spent to upgrade cyber security at the Los Alamos facility, part of the nuclear weapons complex that NNSA oversees.

"These management and security issues can have serious implications for the security of the United States," said Bodman in a statement announcing Brooks' resignation. While "NNSA management has done its best to address these concerns, I do not believe that progress in correcting these issues has been adequate.

"Therefore, and after carful considerastion, I have decided that it is time for new leadership at the NNSA," said Bodman "... Ambassador Brooks will tender his resignation to the president, and depart later this month."

Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said that "it will take more than a new boss to fix the problems, which are far more systemic and pervasive in nature."

Bodman said an acting head of the agency, which is a semi-independent part of the Energy Department, will be named soon.

[olebd]

Looks like Homer ate too many donuts and fell asleep at the switch again.

[alphaa10-2009]

Is there any secret at LANL left to pilfer? The incident with the Chinese employee two years back was settled, after it was established said employee placed sensitive files in a place which was vulnerable to theft/pickup from the internet.

Just weeks ago, we had a Ms. Someone barely out of her teens with a Double Sigma security clearance (please explain how that happens), sharing a trailer with a drug-using roommate, and taking sensitive files home with her, "to review material from the office".

Linton Brooks is yet another unfortunate example of the "can't do" class of political hacks Bush appointed all over the federal landscape. The exceptions to this class, like Sec. O'Neill, usually resign in disgust over Bush policy and/or practice.

Bush assigned Brooks the mission of coming up with a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons-- this from the same Bush who abrogated the 1993 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty which specifically proscribed tactical nukes. And now, we are to believe Bush is worred about Iran getting a membership in the nuclear arms club because, after all, he is our "nuclear non-proliferation" president, working for peace. Heckuva job, Bush!

[feelfree1]

Re: "Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on Thursday announced the dismissal of the head of the U.S. nuclear weapons program..."

Oh well. I'm sure that his "expertise" will be welcomed in Pakistan &/or Israel.

[educates]

The gross incompetence of political appointees with no background for the job have cost this nation trillions. Katrina is a perfect example of incompetence not being able to .... or get off the ...
Impeach the White House. We need reason and competence to be the merit for a job. Bush wants party loyalty and donation to grant a job. He has done this exclusively.
ed u cates

[bluestardad]

That is what you get for hiring that trash around Los Alamos you pimp. Foul up and Move up that is the Civil Work Force Policy! Take your ineptitude and apply for the Bush Administration maybe work for Condi Rice there is no Actionable Intelligence anywhere in that department!

[nothappyatall]

"The gross incompetence of political appointees with no background for the job have cost this nation trillions. Katrina is a perfect example of incompetence" Educates

You bet! and remember when bush trotted out his old friend right winger Harriet Meyers who had NO credentials to be a Supreme court JUDGE,and looked like she could barely run a vaccum cleaner let along make decisions affecting 300 million people.

Don't forget Bolton, a irritating moron who when everyone basically said NO, Bush appointed him to a temporary position ANYWAY- hoping we would either forget he was never officially in, or that Bolton would be forced on us as US ambassador.

Don't forget "Good job Brownie," and "Good job Ricey" who is the Bush administration's "token" black female.

[thgdriver]

olebd

I liked the comparison. You hit the nail right on the head.

[cwl07]

I'm no defender of many of this administration's appointments, but Brooks' bio is not that of a political hack. See:
http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/lintonfbrooksbio.htm
The question is whether DoE runs Los Alamos or Los Alamos runs DoE.

[cwl07]

I'm no defender of many of this administration's appointments, but Brooks' bio is not that of a political hack. See:
http://www.nnsa.doe.gov/lintonfbrooksbio.htm
The question is whether DoE runs Los Alamos or Los Alamos runs DoE.