posted on July 19, 2004 05:54:35 PM new Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos
WASHINGTON - President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a criminal investigation after admitting he removed highly classified terrorism documents from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings, The Associated Press has learned.
Berger's home and office were searched earlier this year by FBI (news - web sites) agents armed with warrants. Some drafts of a sensitive after-action report on the Clinton administration's handling of al-Qaida terror threats during the December 1999 millennium celebration are still missing.
Berger and his lawyer said Monday night he knowingly removed handwritten notes he had taken from classified anti-terror documents he reviewed at the National Archives by sticking them in his jacket and pants. He also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio, they said.
"I deeply regret the sloppiness involved, but I had no intention of withholding documents from the commission, and to the contrary, to my knowledge, every document requested by the commission from the Clinton administration was produced," Berger said in a statement to the AP.
Berger served as Clinton's national security adviser for all of the president's second term and most recently has been informally advising Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites). Clinton asked Berger last year to review and select the administration documents that would be turned over to the commission.
The FBI searched Berger's home and office with warrants earlier this year after employees of the National Archives told agents they believed they witnessed Berger put documents into his clothing while reviewing sensitive Clinton administration papers, officials said.
When asked, Berger said he returned some of the classified documents, which he found in his office, and all of the handwritten notes he had taken from the secure room, but said he could not locate two or three copies of the highly classified millennium terror report.
"In the course of reviewing over several days thousands of pages of documents on behalf of the Clinton administration in connection with requests by the Sept. 11 commission, I inadvertently took a few documents from the Archives," Berger said.
"When I was informed by the Archives that there were documents missing, I immediately returned everything I had except for a few document that I apparently had accidentally discarded," he said.
Lanny Breuer, one of Berger's attorneys, said his client has offered to cooperate fully with the investigation but has not been interviewed by the FBI or prosecutors. Berger has been told he is the subject of the investigation, Breuer said.
Government and congressional officials familiar with the investigation, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the probe involves classified materials, said the investigation remains active and that no decision has been made on whether Berger should face criminal charges.
The officials said the missing documents were highly classified, and included critical assessments about the Clinton administration's handling of the millennium terror threats as well as identification of America's terror vulnerabilities at airports to sea ports.
posted on July 19, 2004 06:08:31 PM new
Come on lefties, line up and start making excuses for Berger
"The natural family is a man and woman bound in a lifelong covenant of marriage for the purposes of:
*the continuation of the human species,
*the rearing of children,
*the regulation of sexuality,
*the provision of mutual support and protection,
*the creation of an altruistic domestic economy, and
*the maintenance of bonds between the generations."
posted on July 19, 2004 07:52:29 PM newand most recently has been informally advising Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Well now that makes two who are advising kerry's campaign and are dealing with problems they've created themselves. Ol' Wilson of they-outed-my-wife fame, has egg on his face too right now.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
posted on July 19, 2004 09:39:14 PM new
Appears to be an attempt to cover up Clinton's involvement (and lack of action) in the al Qaida terrorists threats.
still missing are some drafts of a sensitive after-action report on the Clinton administration's handling of al-Qaida terror threats during the December 1999 millennium celebration.
"The natural family is a man and woman bound in a lifelong covenant of marriage for the purposes of:
*the continuation of the human species,
*the rearing of children,
*the regulation of sexuality,
*the provision of mutual support and protection,
*the creation of an altruistic domestic economy, and
*the maintenance of bonds between the generations."
posted on July 20, 2004 10:30:16 AM new
Oh brother.....now we're supposed to believe that stuffing classified information into one's shoes, pants, etc is normal operating procedure while at the same time advising kerry's campaign.
inadvertently??....yea...right
This is priceless!!!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
posted on July 20, 2004 10:35:36 AM new
Here are some interesting questions Dennis Hastert is asking:
"I am profoundly troubled by allegations that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger removed highly classified documents from the National Archives regarding the Clinton Administration's handling of terrorist attacks prior to the September 11th attacks.
"What could those documents have said that drove Mr. Berger to remove them without authorization from a secure reading room for classified documents?
"What information could be so embarrassing that a man with decades of experience in handling classified documents would risk being caught pilfering our nation's most sensitive secrets?
"Did these documents detail simple negligence or did they contain something more sinister? Was this a bungled attempt to rewrite history and keep critical information from the 9/11 Commission and potentially put their report under a cloud?
"It is my understanding that Mr. Berger shoved this classified information into his clothing to smuggle them out of the National Archives. Press reports indicate that Archival staff became concerned when documents began to disappear and specifically marked additional documents to track them. A number of those documents also turned up missing.
"Mr. Berger has a lot of explaining to do. He was given access to these documents to assist the 9/11 Commission, not hide information from them. The American people and the 9/11 families don't want cover-ups when it comes to the War on Terror. They want the truth. And so does the U.S. House of Representatives."
posted on July 20, 2004 10:53:54 AM new
I know....and they're all great questions. Can't wait to hear the answers to them.
And checking out the Drudge Report this afternoon - his front page has links that show how the 'leftie' news media is downplaying this 'theft' of documents.
Washington Post is giving this story a low priority. Being played up by USA Today. I'll post a link.
I read the linked NYT article and the only mention of anything even close to stuffing these documents into his clothing to sneak them out was this:
"It is possible that Mr. Berger repeated the mistake with more versions of the document."
gotta love that....no mention of stuffing them in his clothes at all. Like it's oh so normal to put classified documents in ones shoes, socks and clothing. But all the while quoting those who just KNOW Berger wouldn't do anything inappropriate.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
posted on July 20, 2004 03:43:58 PM new
Yeah Bunni- I've heard some guys stuff their shorts too...which I consider false advertising...lol!
I was in the Army Security Agency, which became Military Intelligence. Even as a private, I knew better than to remove classified documents. If this is true, he should be prosecuted. I would have been.
posted on July 20, 2004 04:23:05 PM new
No, KD, many from the clinton administration are now working for kerry's campaign. It reflect badly on the choices kerry has made - picking Berger to be the one who advises HIM [kerry] on National Security issues - what policies we'd see IF kerry picked someone like him.....especially after these weird actions.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
posted on July 21, 2004 10:52:51 AM new
See, if the Republicans make a big stink about this it diverts attention from the ongoing investigation into TREASON in the White House.
Outing a CIA agent is a treasonable offense and it came from the Bush boys.
Doesn't matter if Joe Wilson lied or not.
His wife was outed and it came from the White House.
To clarify for the neocons...TREASON is a REALLY, REALLY big deal.
Taking a few documents, while wrong, does not compare to an act of TREASON which endangered the lives of many people AND endangered our national security. You know, national security....allegedly one of Bush's few strong points????????
posted on July 21, 2004 11:09:37 AM new I heard that the documents in question are only copies that are missing. Is that true?
Thats what the demos are claiming but nothing else has been said.
"The natural family is a man and woman bound in a lifelong covenant of marriage for the purposes of:
*the continuation of the human species,
*the rearing of children,
*the regulation of sexuality,
*the provision of mutual support and protection,
*the creation of an altruistic domestic economy, and
*the maintenance of bonds between the generations."
posted on July 21, 2004 11:20:55 AM new
The documents were in an archive. That's why you can not take them out of the building. The function of the depository is to preserve and allow viewing of the documents. It's just like the reference section of the library, you can look and copy all you want but you can't take the material out of the library.
I think Berger was just too lazy or pressed for time to either take notes or copy the information.
And yes there are copies of these documents deposited elsewhere.
It was a nice try by the neocons, but the story simply has no legs, there is no substance or traction in trying to tar Kerry with the alledged activities of Berger.
It's not even much of a story even when it just focuses on Berger.
posted on July 21, 2004 12:35:21 PM new
Alledged activities? Berger admits he took the documents and lost others and only returned most of them when it was noticed they were gone.
And fact that he stuffed them in his clothes is being discussed on radio stations and news programs. They're asking viewers, 'Are you buying that it's normal behavior for a National Security Advisor to remove classified documents by stuffing them in his clothes?.....general consensus is a BIG ...NO, we not that stupid!!
On top of that he conveniently lost/destroyed two of the most important documents. right...
On the 'not much of a story'....it sure it is. It's just that with all the liberal newspapers burying it on page A16, like the NYT did....it gets less notice than it would have had this same action been taken by a Republican. THEN it would be FRONT PAGE news on all the papers.
And it has caused Berger to resign from his advisory position on the kerry campaign. That in itself says something.
And on top of that ol' DNC chairman Terry McAucliffe is having an absolute fit. Now demanding to find out just who has recently looked at these documents.....fingers pointing [GASP - where else?....to the WH, of course. Working to take the attention off the 'theft' and put the blame on the WH.
---------------
taken from today's WSJ Editorial Page:
Berger on the 'Wall'
The election debate behind the documents-in-pants caper.
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT
We'll grant that visions of a former National Security Adviser stuffing classified documents down his trousers or socks makes for good copy. But count us more interested in learning what's in the documents themselves than in where on his person Sandy Berger may have put them when he was sneaking them out of the National Archives.
For the evidence suggests that the missing material cuts to the heart of the choice offered in this election: Whether America treats terrorism as a problem of law enforcement or an act of war.
Mr. Berger admits to having deliberately taken handwritten notes he'd made out of the Archives reading room.
On the more serious charges involving the removal (and subsequent discarding) of highly classified documents--including drafts of a key, after-action memo Mr. Berger had himself ordered on the U.S. response to al Qaeda threats in the run-up to the Millennium--he maintains he did so "inadvertently."
There's only one way to clear away the political smoke: Release all the drafts of the review Mr. Berger took from the room.
If it's all as innocent as Mr. Berger's friends are saying, there's no reason not to make them public. But there are good reasons for questioning Mr. Berger's dog-ate-my-homework explanation. To begin with, he was not simply preparing for his testimony before the 9/11 Commission. He was the point man for the Clinton Administration, reviewing and selecting the documents to be turned over to the Commission.
Written by Richard Clarke for the NSC, the key document was called the Millennium After-Action Review because it dealt with al Qaeda attacks timed for the eve of the Millennium celebrations.
In his own 9/11 testimony, Mr. Berger described these al Qaeda plans as "the most serious threat spike of our time in government." He went on to say that they provoked "sustained attention and rigorous actions" from the Administration that ended up saving lives.
But Attorney General John Ashcroft, who has the advantage of having read the document in question, had a different take. In his own 9/11 testimony in April, Mr. Ashcroft recommended that the Commission "study carefully" the after-action memo. He described it as laying out vulnerabilities and calling for aggressive remedies of the type he and the Bush Administration have been criticized for. Mr. Ashcroft further noted that when he took office, this "highly classified review" was "not among" the items he was briefed on during the transition.
Maybe that is because of the potential for embarrassment at the mentality the memo reveals. Mr. Ashcroft testified that the Justice Department's "surveillance and FISA operations were specifically criticized for their glaring weaknesses." The most glaring, of course, were the restrictions on the sharing of critical information between intelligence and law enforcement--even within the FBI itself. This was the infamous "wall of separation" that Clinton Deputy AG Jamie Gorelick instructed the FBI director should "go beyond what is legally required."
From today's vantage we can see the consequences. Ahmed Ressam was one of the would-be Millennium bombers whom the French had identified to U.S. intelligence agencies as an al Qaeda operative planning to attack America. But the "wall of separation" meant that when an alert U.S. customs officer stopped Ressam as he tried to enter the country from Vancouver, the Justice Department had no idea who he was. This helps illuminate the claim made in the missing memo, according to Mr. Ashcroft's testimony, that our success in stopping these 1999 attacks was a result of sheer "luck."
Assuming Mr. Ashcroft's characterizations under oath are true, it would explain why Mr. Berger's "inadvertent" actions seemed to zero in on the various drafts of this review. Sources tell us that Archives staff noticed documents missing after one of Mr. Berger's visits. After gently raising the issue with him, they were shocked to have him return other documents they hadn't even noticed missing. The result was that the next time Mr. Berger went to the Archives, the documents he was given were all marked.
Mr. Berger attributes the disappearance of this classified information to the kind of "sloppiness" that comes from reviewing "thousands of pages of documents." But it strikes us as amazing that mere sloppiness could account for how Mr. Berger seized on the same memo during two different visits.
We're not interested in rehashing what the Clinton Administration or even Mr. Berger did or didn't do vis-a-vis the al Qaeda threat pre-9/11. Nor are we much interested about Mr. Berger's troubles with the law. What does interest us is what this memo might tell us about how America should respond to terror.
Given Mr. Berger's role (until he resigned yesterday) as a Kerry adviser, surely this is something worth debating. And if the missing memos say what Mr. Ashcroft has hinted they do, we can well understand why Mr. Berger would want to keep them in his trousers during a crucial election year. ------
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
posted on July 21, 2004 12:50:25 PM newAnd fact that he stuffed them in his clothes is being discussed on radio stations and news programs. They're asking viewers, 'Are you buying that it's normal behavior for a National Security Advisor to remove classified documents by stuffing them in his clothes?.....general consensus is a BIG ...NO, we not that stupid!!
Good thing they're "not that stupid" since it didn't happen that way at all...
____________________
We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. -- John F. Kennedy
posted on July 21, 2004 12:58:43 PM new
posted on July 21, 2004 10:52:51 AM edit
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See, if the Republicans make a big stink about this it diverts attention from the ongoing investigation into TREASON in the White House.
Outing a CIA agent is a treasonable offense and it came from the Bush boys.
Doesn't matter if Joe Wilson lied or not.
His wife was outed and it came from the White House.
To clarify for the neocons...TREASON is a REALLY, REALLY big deal.
Taking a few documents, while wrong, does not compare to an act of TREASON which endangered the lives of many people AND endangered our national security. You know, national security....allegedly one of Bush's few strong points????????
bunni - Here's how hundreds of articles, the news media and radio stations ARE reporting it....just like in this AP article on Yahoo news.
Berger and his lawyer said Monday night he knowingly removed handwritten notes he had taken from classified anti-terror documents he reviewed at the National Archives by sticking them in his jacket and pants. He also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio, they said.
[EAG original link]
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those are only two reasons why we need to:
Re-elect President Bush!!
[ edited by Linda_K on Jul 21, 2004 01:44 PM ]
posted on July 21, 2004 02:02:45 PM new
oh reamond - A day or two?
Reading the different online news sites...and what they're saying about this - it really won't matter if the NYT and other liberal news try to discount it or it gets a short run.
Too late!!...the people are reading/hearing about it all over the internt. And the thought that a National Security adviser to clinton and a current [past tense] kerry security adviser would do something like this....and use the lame excuse he did....WILL be a question mark in the minds of many when considering who they'll vote for. like...hummmm 'what were the democrats trying to hide by stealing and destroying classified documents'.
It puts a black mark on their credibility...that will remain. Unless Berger can explain just why he'd destroy documents he shouldn't have taken in the first place.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"One thing is for sure: the extremists have faith in our weakness. And the weaker we are, the more they will come after us." --Tony Blair
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"The War on Terror will not be won until America is united. And as long as Democrats target the Bush administration -- not the terrorists -- as the enemy, we are in trouble." --Oliver North
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
posted on July 21, 2004 02:35:33 PM new
It doesn't make any difference how many internet sites go on about it, it just isn't an interesting or substansive story.
On the re-elect Bush network (FOX News), the commentator even said that this has nothing to do with Kerry and isn't much of a story anyway.
posted on July 21, 2004 03:01:12 PM newIt was a nice try by the neocons, but the story simply has no legs, there is no substance or traction in trying to tar Kerry with the alledged activities of Berger.
Most be why Berger resigned from his position in Kerry's election campaign.
"The natural family is a man and woman bound in a lifelong covenant of marriage for the purposes of:
*the continuation of the human species,
*the rearing of children,
*the regulation of sexuality,
*the provision of mutual support and protection,
*the creation of an altruistic domestic economy, and
*the maintenance of bonds between the generations."
posted on July 21, 2004 07:35:12 PM new
Linda, the republicans are running with this and having a good time.
My personal opinion: I think alot of them work long hours with all this documentation and maybe he did sneak some of it out to work on at home or whatever......but in the grand scheme of things, I dont feel its a big detriment to Kerry.
These people/players are side dishes, dont you think?? - Are you more worried when your steak comes out wrong or the baked potato?
(LOL>>>>>>at myself for the food analogy!!)
"The natural family is a man and woman bound in a lifelong covenant of marriage for the purposes of:
*the continuation of the human species,
*the rearing of children,
*the regulation of sexuality,
*the provision of mutual support and protection,
*the creation of an altruistic domestic economy, and
*the maintenance of bonds between the generations."
