The suspect, later identified as wen ho lee, pleaded guilty to a. The highest journalistic standard in new york book publishing is one of liability. I want you to tell the story of wen ho lee, and for people who dont. James risen project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Wen ho lee case study1 in the 1990s as the clinton administration sought to expand diplomatic and trade relations with china, chinese espionage against us technology targetsespecially nuclear weapons data at national laboratorieswas getting widespread publicity in the media. Jeff gerth is a former investigative reporter for the new york times who has written lengthy, probing stories that drew both praise and criticism. Sep 26, 2000 the times neither imagined the security breach nor initiated the case against wen ho lee.
James risen, the new york times and the sliming of wen ho. James risen is a legend in the world of investigative and national security journalism. The privilege is widely recognized in civil litigation like wen ho lee s case as well as in criminal trials. Wen ho lees 1999 arrest taught chinese americans that their. Risen, of course, managed to protect his sources in both cases, in a series that unfairly identified wen ho lee as a chinese spy and in a book that raised real questions. The case of scientist wen ho lee and chinese americans under. Times reporting on wen ho lee faculty server contact. And i want to stay back in that period of 2000 and go to the story, that you write about here, of wen ho lee. Bay successfully sought to prevent accused nuclear weapons scientist wen ho lee. Theres no press room at cia headquarters, like there is at the white house. James risen is back in the news, again insisting that, as a matter of privilege, he will not testify in court in a leak case involving national security issues i say again because risen has taken this stance before, in a matter that ultimately did not reflect well on many involved.
James risen books list of books by author james risen. Risen was provided with a subpoena to testify in that case, in order to shed light who had improperly leaked the old allegations about wen ho lee to the press. Its sometimes even recognized in grandjury investigations like branzburg. James risen and the matter of wen ho lee democratic underground. The governments prime suspect was a man named wen ho lee. How the new york times helped railroad wen ho lee salon. James risen, the new york times and the sliming of wen ho lee. He created simulations of nuclear explosions for the purposes of scientific inquiry, as well as for improving the safety and reliability of the u. The fundamental difference between good book chapters and good newspaper articles boils down to this. America has become accustomed to a permanent state of war. What was new york times reporter james risens sevenyear legal. Sterlings case had been on hold for years, awaiting risen s testimonywhich risen, a new york times reporter, had fought to withhold, potentially on pain of imprisonment. New york times chastises itself for flaws in wen ho lee stories by howard.
He spent most of this year in solitary confinement. Wen ho lees public ordeal started on march 6, 1999, when the new york times published an article about an alleged breach of security at lanl involving one of americas most advanced thermonuclear warheads, the w88. Sep 29, 2000 the new york times and the case of wen ho lee by barry grey 29 september 2000 on september 26 the new york times published an extraordinary statement concerning its coverage of the case of wen ho. Sep 21, 2000 how the new york times helped railroad wen ho lee. Sep 27, 2000 new york times chastises itself for flaws in wen ho lee stories by howard. He wanted to know if theyd heard that lee had been accused of spying for the. Jan 05, 2018 it is doubtful that us district judge james parker in new mexico would have had the courage to denounce the justice department for a shabby case and to order the release of wen ho lee after. One lee associate said the editors note, while welcome, did not. But it was not detected until 1995, when americans analyzing. Inside new york times reporter james risens seven year. For me the most persuasive evidence that wen ho lee was innocent of the wild spying charges lodged against him came hours after his release from jail, when he returned to his standard. In this case, wen ho lee spent six years fighting us in the courts and ended up with a settlement that i would bet paid only a fraction of his legal costs, so that hardly looms as an incentive to. James risen, the new york times and the sliming of wen ho lee by jeffrey st. Scientists suit a blow to press shield wen ho lee wants.
Risen the piece read like a case study in journalistic brinksmanship, and was but the first of many negative. Both the lee and stoberhoffman books should be read before making up your mind. Wen ho lee, john deutch and the future of intelligence. The secret history of the cia and the bush administration, and more on. To make the comparison is perhaps unfair, but one could do worse. But the freeing of physicist wen ho lee from solitary confinement in new mexico has focused renewed attention on the case of john deutch, the former cia director. Join facebook to connect with lee james and others you may know. Nuclear weapons engineer indicted in removal of data.
As a reporter for the new york times, risen broke some of the most important stories of the post 911 era. See all books authored by james risen, including the main enemy. Government worked together to suppress james risens post911 reporting. It remains to be seen whether the impulse has legs, as they say in show biz and in that branch of it that they call politics. The times neither imagined the security breach nor initiated the case against wen ho lee. A lot of it was because of, i finally decided to put it in a book because the. Wen ho lee was charged in december with 59 counts of mishandling nuclear secrets and denied bail. The new york times and the case of wen ho lee world.
Wen ho lee was charged in december with 59 counts of mishandling nuclear. New york times chastises itself for flaws in wen ho lee. Wen ho lee was born on december 21, 1939 to a hoklo family in taiwan during japanese rule. Readers will have to decide for themselves whether lee was a devious spy or an eccentric victim. Lee s motives, possible damage in atomic secrets case remain a mystery. Mar 17, 2015 what was new york times reporter james risens sevenyear legal. Inside new york times reporter james risens seven year fight. A civil suit by the former nuclear scientist wen ho lee has been wending its way through the legal system and, if the court decisions so far including an appeals court ruling on thursday are.
He graduated from keelung high school in the northern part of the island in 1959, after which he attended national cheng kung university in tainan, where he graduated with a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering in 1963. My life as a new york times reporter in the shadow. Spy cases united states wen ho lee from january 2000. The inside story of the cias final showdown with the kgb, and state of war. I think my real change came after 911 and the invasion of iraq. Nov 06, 2005 a civil suit by the former nuclear scientist wen ho lee has been wending its way through the legal system and, if the court decisions so far including an appeals court ruling on thursday are.
It certainly appears unlikely, in light of investigators use of these procedures, that lee has been accorded due process thus far. It was james risen, the reporter from the new york times. Dec 26, 2003 the privilege is widely recognized in civil litigation like wen ho lees case as well as in criminal trials. It is doubtful that us district judge james parker in new mexico would have had the courage to denounce the justice department for a shabby case and to. James risen born april 27, 1955 is an american journalist for the intercept. The privilege is widely recognized in civil litigation like wen ho lees case as well as in criminal trials. And to me, it was fascinating talking to cia people right after the invasion of iraq and right before the invasion of iraq, because it was kind of like privately talking to a bunch of howard deans. He won a pulitzer prize in 1999 for covering the transfer of american satellitelaunch technology to china. On march 6, 1999, the new york times published an explosive report by james risen.
He broke stories about the whitewater controversy and the chinese scientist wen ho lee. The prosecutors thought they had won their battle after the supreme court, in june 2014, declined to consider risen. Risen did not wish to testify, and repeatedly challenged the subpoena. James risen of the new york times, walter pincus of the. Risen, of course, managed to protect his sources in both cases, in a series that unfairly identified wen ho lee as a chinese spy and in a book that raised real questions about what our nuclear establishment was doing.
One great tragedy of the wen ho lee case is that the entire truth will likely. The case of scientist wen ho lee and chinese americans. James risen and the matter of wen ho lee democratic. He has written or cowritten many articles concerning u. Now, if people were wondering what the cia and the fbi were doing before. Jan 03, 2018 james risen is a legend in the world of investigative and national security journalism.
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