They?re members of a prestigious academic panel with top-secret clearances who?ve advised the Pentagon on some of America?s most vexing national security issues since the Cold War. Over 60 years, they?ve won 11 Nobel prizes and conducted hundreds of government studies.
The advisory group, known as Jason, is a team of some 60 of America?s top physicists and scientists who spend each summer in La Jolla, California, conducting studies commissioned by the Pentagon and other U.S. government agencies.
Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, the head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, objected, telling Griffin?s office the scientists were crucial for keeping America?s nuclear stockpile secure, according to an NNSA official and others affiliated with the Jason program. Gordon-Hagerty?s agency offered to take responsibility for the program. She only needed Griffin?s signature to make it happen.
Griffin refused.
He declined comment, but a Defense Department spokeswoman said the Pentagon decided it had less need for the studies than previously thought. ?The department remains committed to seeking independent technical advice and review. This change is in keeping with this commitment, while making the most economic sense,? said spokeswoman Heather Babb.
