THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

Today I have asked the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, chaired by Warren Rudman, to undertake a review of the security threat at the Department of Energy's weapons labs and the adequacy of the measures that have been taken to address it. The Board is a bipartisan, independent advisory body responsible, among other things, for assessing the quality and adequacy of our counterintelligence efforts.

I have asked the Board to address the nature of the present counterintelligence security threat, the way in which it has evolved over the last two decades and the steps we have taken to counter it, as well as to recommend any additional steps that may be needed. I have asked the Board to deliver its completed report to the Congress, and to the fullest extent possible consistent with our national security, to release an unclassified version to the public.

I am determined to do all that is necessary to protect our sensitive national security information and to prevent its diversion to foreign countries. Last year, I signed Presidential Decision Directive 61 to strengthen security and counterintelligence at the labs, and since 1995, we have increased the Department of Energy's counterintelligence budget fifteen-fold, from $2 to $31 million.

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