National briefs

By Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 25, 2000

Bail is set in nuclear secret case

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A federal judge Thursday agreed to release former Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee on $1-million bail while he awaits trial on charges of mishandling U.S. nuclear secrets.

Lee, 60, had twice before been denied bail. U.S. District Judge James Parker relented after a hearing in which Lee's lawyers cast doubt on the solidity of the government's case and just how sensitive the nuclear material involved was.

Lee was not immediately released. The judge set a hearing for Tuesday on the conditions of his release.

Carnivore review sought

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department formally asked outside technical experts Thursday to review whether the FBI's "Carnivore" e-mail surveillance system has adequate protections against abuse.

The department posted a 63-page description of the technical review on its Web site for bids by outside contractors. It hopes a major university will undertake and complete the task this fall.

The technical review, to be followed by public comment and an internal Justice Department review, is designed to present Attorney General Janet Reno with recommendations by Dec. 8 on how to respond to criticism of the system from Congress and privacy advocates.

Also . . .

CLINTON GRAND JURY: Independent counsel Robert Ray came to the federal courthouse Thursday as a new grand jury investigating President Clinton met for several hours. Ray and several prosecutors who work for him carried boxes of documents into the third-floor area where five grand juries were conducting business, the Clinton grand jury among them. Ray did not comment.

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