Is Wen Ho Lee a Spy? ❓
Wen Ho Lee was not a spy acting in the service of any foreign government (DV). He was loyal to the United States. (IV)
Wen Ho Lee was conducting espionage on behalf of the Chinese (Beijing) government (DV). He was recruited by the Chinese government. (IV)
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Known information about Chinese espionage activities in the 1980s and 1990s:
The Chinese utilized both soft (mostly legal) espionage and hard-spying techniques.
The Chinese have the tendency to approach ethnic nationals with appeals for assistance. They have also been known to solicit information from students.
DoE intel noted miniaturization of warheads by 1992, as well as multiple warhead launch capabilities developed far too quickly for the typical Chinese research pace. China also gained a SLBM platform by the early 1990s.
Wen Ho Lee was conducting espionage on behalf of the defacto Taiwanese government. (DV) He was sympathetic to the cause of Taiwan. (IV)
Wen Ho Lee was working other Taiwanese scientists who held loyalty to Beijing.
The Chinese were successful in recruiting Dr. Lee in during the 1988 Beijing Hotel meeting. The requests regarding miniaturization processes explain the rapid leap the Chinese made by 1992. His espionage was completed by 1994, as indicated by a meeting with Dr. Hu at a Los Alamos party.
Dr. Lee did not spy for the Chinese (DV). He was a scapegoat for poor understanding of Russo-Sino nuclear cooperation. (IV)
The Chinese probably sought assistance from unemployed Soviet scientists.
Although he handed over UNCLASSIFIED nuclear reactor documentation, he was not conducting espionage that benefited from his Q clearance.
This fits typical assumptions about Taiwanese people being fairly loyal to their defacto government. Fits with rebuke of FBI false flag recruitment effort.
Wen Ho Lee accidentally passed classified information to the Chinese government in casual meetings (IV), which may have advanced some portion of the Chinese nuclear development program (DV).
Wen Ho Lee indirectly spied for the Chinese (DV), by passing information to compromised Taiwanese contacts (IV).
This may coincide with his visit to Chung Shan Military Institute. This 1998 trip could have served as a final debriefing. This would implicate widespread compromise in the Taiwanese military infrastructure.
Fits with previously unknown trips to Taiwan that Lee admitted to during his debrief after prison.
Fits with previously unknown trips to Taiwan that Lee admitted to during his debrief after prison.
His wife may have been involved in supporting the transfer of information to Beijing.
This is why Lee sought unauthorized access to Division X labs.
Wen Ho Lee did not spy for Beijing (DV), as Chinese nationalism during the 1980s was too weak (IV) to inspire this sort of dedicated conspiracy against the US Government.
Dr. Lee did not spy for the Chinese (DV). He was a scapegoat for the developments made by the Chinese due to increasingly open scientific cooperation adopted by Presidents Reagan and Clinton. (IV)
The Chinese used legal and clever OSINT gathering to advance their program.
Wen Ho Lee was not a spy (DV). DOE made an error in identifying him. (IV).