His name - leaked to the media in violation of every federal regulation in the book - was

His name - leaked to the media in violation of every federal regulation in the book - was a constant feature of the 17 Senate hearings that took place on the security issue over the next six months, making his indictment a near-inevitability.The absurdities of the case are many. According to Robert Vrooman, who was head of counter-intelligence at Los Alamos until 1998, codes for the W-88 warhead were distributed to 548 different locations, from the laboratories themselves to the Pentagon, other government agencies and private contractors. Information could have been passed to China from any one of these points. Moreover, it is unlikely that Chinese possession of the codes for the warhead would make any difference to the global strategic balance. Harold Agnew, a former director of Los Alamos, has said it would have "little or no effect" because every country develops its own codes and can't do much with ones that are incompatible - even assuming it has the resources to build a new weapons system, which China hasn't.Like earlier waves of hysteria against Asian Americans, from the discriminatory laws against ethnic Chinese in the 19th century to the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans during the Second World War, it appears the paranoia about China is another passing fancy: after all, the country has just been granted Permanent Normal Trading Relations status with the US - an odd thing to seek from an enemy.The US intelligence establishment, meanwhile, has sprung so many leaks it looks more like a sieve than a national security outfit.

A White House investigation published last year found classified documents detailing the designs of nuclear weapons sitting on public-access library shelves at Los Alamos. In May, two computer hard drives containing nuclear secrets mysteriously disappeared from a secure area of the labs, only to reappear, just as mysteriously, a few weeks later. Meanwhile, the head of the CIA, John Deutsch, was caught downloading classified documents on to his home computer and forced to resign. Curiously, there has been no mention of prosecution in his case.Dr Lee, meanwhile, has been left to rot in prison - treated, as his daughter Alberta says, "like an animal". He can see his family for one hour a week, and then only from the other side of a thick glass wall. No physical contact is permitted, and his conversations are attentively followed by the FBI. Alberta has toured the country speaking on his behalf, scarcely able to believe that the gentle father she knows has been put through this hell "He's been scapegoated He's essentially a political prisoner," she says.

"I can't believe it is my country putting him through this." Bail would be a crucial first step towards restoring his dignity and putting some balance back into a frighteningly unbalanced case; whether fact or circumstance will enable him to clear his name altogether remains to be seen.. Muammar Gaddafi may attend a European Union-Mediterranean summit in Marseilles in November in what would be widely seen as a diplomatic pay-off for Tripoli's help in the release of the Western hostages in the Philippines. Muammar Gaddafi may attend a European Union-Mediterranean summit in Marseilles in November in what would be widely seen as a diplomatic pay-off for Tripoli's help in the release of the Western hostages in the Philippines. This would be the Libyan President's first visit to Europe since his diplomatic isolation in the Eighties for supporting terrorist causes.The French Foreign Minister, Hubert Védrine, said yesterday President Gaddafi "could be there" if the plan to hold a summit of all EU and Mediterranean fringe countries goes ahead The meeting is in some doubt. France - holding the EU presidency until the end of the year - fears all other work might be blocked if Israel and the Palestinians, who are both invited, fail to reach an agreement on the next stage of the Middle East peace process.Mr Védrine yesterday denied there was a direct quid pro quo between the hostage release and the diplomatic rehabilitation of President Gaddafi.He told the French newspaper Le Figaro the "normalisation" of relations with Tripoli began 18 months ago when the United Nations suspended its Libyan sanctions and the EU abandoned its trade embargo (except for arms).But Mr Védrine said the "minimum" France could do in return for the hostages' release was to "pursue what has already been started".

Improved relations with Libya had begun before the hostage crisis but would continue "even more" afterwards.Two weeks ago, the investigative newspaper Le Canard Enchainé said Paris had struck a direct bargain with Tripoli: help in negotiating the release of the hostages, including six French citizens, in return for diplomatic respectability for Libya. These allegations have been denied by Paris.French officials say Germany contacted Libya first, and the French, German, Finnish and South African governments had to accept the Libyan mediation because there were no other promising alternatives.Mr Védrine's comments yesterday came the nearest yet to a public admission that Libya would gain direct diplomatic benefit for the affair. He pointed out that the diplomatic isolation of President Gaddafi was already at an end.The French President had a brief meeting with President Gaddafi when the Libyan leader attended an EU-Africa summit in Cairo in April.. As Indonesia went to sleep last night, a few hours before the opening of its greatest criminal trial, everything - or almost everything - was in place. As Indonesia went to sleep last night, a few hours before the opening of its greatest criminal trial, everything - or almost everything - was in place. In an auditorium in south Jakarta a special courtroom has been created, with hundreds of seats for press and spectators Two helipads are built for quick exits in case of trouble.

The panel of four judges is ready, the prosecutors have assembled their evidence, and TV cameras are in place for live national broadcast. And a total of 1,250 police, including a bomb-disposal squad, will be on duty to enforce the ban on demonstrations.But, as the hour of the trial, at 10 o'clock this morning, draws closer, one question is unanswered - will there be adefendant?Many Indonesians are as cynical as Chileans were in the case of General Augusto Pinochet, about the Suharto lawyers' claim that the 79-year-old former president's memory is going, as is his power of speech, after a series of minor strokes There are good grounds for that cynicism Few former strongmen have faced justice for their crimes. The ones still alive are elderly, and many are enjoying their last days - and loot - in undisturbed comfort, in their own countries.Last night, no one appeared to know whether Mr Suharto, retired general and for 32 years dictator of Indonesia, would answer the summons to appear in court on charges of corruption.Denny Kailimang, a member of Mr Suharto's team of lawyers, said: "He is sick and his doctors have already told us he cannot stand trial. On Thursday, about 7am, Mr Suharto's doctors will determine whether their patient can come."If Mr Suharto does appear in the dock, to face charges of misappropriating $571m (£388m) of state funds, it will be a moment of profound symbolism, on a par with his resignation in May 1998 and the country's first democratic elections in June last year.