Washington, D.C.
The Bush administration this week threatened to file criminal charges against ABC News reporters who smuggled uranium into the country to test port security. Correspondent Brian Ross and his producers sent 15 pounds of depleted uranium to Los Angeles from Indonesia, a terrorism hot spot. The substance is not radioactive enough to be used in weapons, and can be legally imported. But Homeland Security officials said the shipment might have been illegal because the contents were not disclosed. “Can a reporter rob a bank to prove that bank security is weak?” a department spokesman asked. An ABC News spokesman said the ruse was part of a valid investigation. “This is what journalists do,” he said.
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