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Clinton reviews security after Cuba spying arrests

Mon Jun 8, 2009 7:48pm EDT
 
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday she had ordered a review of State Department security practices after a former employee and his wife were accused of spying for Cuba last week.

Walter Kendall Myers, 72, aided by his wife Gwendolyn Myers, 71, have been accused of using his Top Secret security clearance to pass on classified information to the Cuban government and at one point met Cuban leader Fidel Castro, according to court documents released on Friday.

"I have directed our security personnel to review every possible security program we have, every form of vetting and clearance that we employ in the State Department, to determine what more we can do to guard against this kind of outrageous violation," Clinton told reporters at a news conference with Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda.

Myers and his wife have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to act as illegal agents of the Cuban government and conspiracy to communicate classified information to Cuba, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday.

The couple, who have pleaded not guilty, were also charged with wire fraud and acting as illegal agents and face up to 35 years in prison, a Justice Department official has said.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

 
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