Posted on 07/19/2004 5:07:42 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
AP: Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos
3 minutes ago Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!
By JOHN SOLOMON
WASHINGTON - President Clinton (news - web sites)'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.
(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...
We cannot forget Richard Clark on this. We know he was involved in lots of things related to documents.
1. Bruce Lindsey
2. Sandy Berger
We knew that--but in all the excitement I forgot tonight. Thanks for reminding us.
Now let's review: Berger goes through docs and perloins several. Then Lindsey raises a stink about the Bush administration "holding documents back".
Somehow it's all of a piece.
Boy am I tired of the praise still being heaped on the supposedly "moderate" crooks of the Clinton administration. Sandy Berger, Leon Panetta, Madeline Albright...I have less respect for them than for the Susan McDougals.
This story is so good, I'll have a hard time sleeping tonight.
Just dawned on me that these draft reports could also have mark up comments in addition to line outs. That could be interesting.
Exactly! That makes me more sure than anything that the specific documents missing were taken deliberately in the hopes that highly classified documents like that wouldn't have too many copies floating around.
I'll check his website tomorrow.
Thanks for the ping and the insight.
According to Berger 9/11 Docs Reveal Clinton Security Lapse, it was the "drafts" Berger was apparently after.
Speculation would be that the "final product" minimized the actual threat and watered down the proposed response, so that the "drafts" would make it obvious that the Clinton administration wasn't as serious about terrorism as they claimed.
Don't know how that might fit into your Kerry thesis, which makes good sense, though.
Clarke, Wilson, Berger all said Bush ignored everything. Wilson's a liar, Berger's a thief and Clarke is an a**.
It's like most of us have said right along, If Clinton had taken action after the THE FIRST HIT ON OUR SHORES (1993), maybe 9-11 wouldn't have happened.
So Ashcroft had to know about this investigation when he testified. It's probably one of the reasons he decided to drop the bomb on Gorelick...warning that further shenanigans will not be tolerated.
I have to disagree with you on this. The media can ignore anything they choose. The only question is weather the Bush administration will do anything. Based on past actions, I doubt it.
I predict that this story will be dead and buried by Friday. The important story to the media is the Arnold "girlyman" comment.
I agree. Was just trying to find out what the current analysis of freeper was as I've missed hours of this thread.
We should all dedicate a day to email and call Matthews program to ask him why the news blackout. Send him a couple thousand messages. Maybe he'll even have to respond.
Feels like old times tonight on FR.
A clock radio and a voice-actuated tape recorder would do just dandy.
Test the clock timing and set the clock on the clock radio about 5 minutes fast, just in case.
A few Radio Shack RCA and mini-plus adapters and you can then transfer that tape recording onto a VCR cassette.
Worked for me.
That can be made in .wav audio files and then converted into mono .mp3s for quicker loading and playing of pertinent shorter topic .mp3s.
Answer = Bill Clinton
Reasonable Conclusion = Conspiracy
Investigation = Wide Spread
New thread on this matter:
WASHINGTON -- Government and congressional officials said the investigation of Sandy Berger for taking classified Sept. 11 documents is still active.
They also said no decision has been made on whether Berger should face criminal charges.
The officials said the missing documents from a secure reading room at the National Archives include critical assessments about the Clinton administration's handling of the millennium terror threats.
The documents also deal with identifying America's terror vulnerabilities at airports and sea ports.
Berger said he knowingly took handwritten notes, but inadvertently took documents.
Meanwhile, a statement from the House Intelligence Committee said it has not yet been informed about the loss or theft of any classified intelligence information from the Archives.
My question:
Was the critical assessment of Clinton's handling on terrorism threats critical? Or was it an important assessment as in he did a good job?
Who let this information out???
Thanks, but When?
What date?
FOTLGate (Fruit-Of-The-Loom) , Jockeygate<---like this one...
This is old news. Remember - 9/11 happened on Bush's watch - not Clinton's.
So ... I wonder who the first Democrat to use this line of "reasoning" will be?
I really wish I knew who besides Whopper Berger and Lyin' Joe Wilson is on his foreign policy advisory committee.
Michael Moore and Whoopi Goldberg must certainly be members. That respected foreign policy expert, Amy Carter, is undoubtedly the committee chairman.
Leni
Thanks for the advice; I think our tape recorder is voice activated but don't think I can set up our radio in time before leaving tomorrow to a clock. Dang - of all days to miss Rush.
I can see the toothy grin on G. Gordon Liddy now.
In March 2000, the review warns the prior Administration of a substantial al Qaeda network and affiliated foreign terrorist presence within the U.S., capable of supporting additional terrorist attacks here.
The article doesn't say, it just says a few months ago
LOL! Good hearing from you!
Definitely a warning shot across the bow. Ashcroft was more forceful than I've ever seen him that day...he was ticked. Now we know it wasn't just Gorelick.
My prediction: Berger will suddenly be diagnosed with a mental illness which will excuse all his actions. Nothing to see. Move on.
Any bets on the chances this story will be reported in the MSM?
Ex-Clinton aide lifted documents
Atlanta Journal Constitution (subscription), GA - 21 minutes ago
WASHINGTON — President Bill Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a Justice Department probe after removing classified terrorism ...
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Sandy Berger admits he removed highly classified terrorism documents from a secure reading room during preparations for the Nine-Eleven commission hearings. ...
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Wired News - 38 minutes ago
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CBC News, Canada - 40 minutes ago
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AP: Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos
Guardian, UK - 40 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly ...
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News 8 Austin, TX - 45 minutes ago
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AP: Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos
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Berger Flashback: Hard Spin on Sudan Offer
NewsMax.com, FL - 1 hour ago (Yes, I know... not MSM...)
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ASHINGTON, July 19 (AP) - President Bill Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, said Monday night that he had removed highly classified documents ...
New! Get the latest news on sandy-berger with Google News Alerts.
Said yesterday or the day before that he did.
Or, maybe it was Edwards.
It is one thing to comment on current major media stories while trying to counter the major media spin. It is quite another to be a major contributor to the agenda and force the main stream media to try to counter your take. It is better to be part of setting the agenda rather than reacting to the agenda set by others.
If I were 25 years younger, I would be back in radio. Being born 25 years to soon is not a good deal.
The reason that none of the talk shows have become the source of stories rather than commentators on the stories slected by the MSM, escapes me.
If the story's already breaking world wide, if even the NYT is actually covering it, then they can't ignore it - it would be like trying to conceal the sunrise. All they can do is play it like the impeachment story - spin, spin and spin some more, and go all-out against their accusers. Only this is about a lot more than trying to hide the fact that their pervert president was diddling the interns.
I agree that they will have some, probably a lot, of success in downplaying this. However, they'll be forced to be on the defensive for quite a while, and it couldn't have happened at a worse time for them, on the eve of their convention. Kerry can only go so far trying to campaign as the Invisible Man, and it ain't far enough to get him into the White House. Now he's going to be forced to hide even more than he already is.
LOL, There is gonna be a big ole toothy grin and a bounce in the step of a whole lot of people who have known what the democrats are and have been waiting for this day
Made any spaghetti lately?
Leni
I can't believe the nerve. I know I should, but I just can't.
I am fast losing track on who says what when.
I agree. This will have the shelf-life of the "Joe Clarke Turns Out to be a Liar" story.
The propaganda wing of the Democratic party, aka the mainstream media, will have no doubts about how to handle this.
Truth be told I've been wearing a smile like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland ever since this story broke.
That's a good point. Proactive rather than reactive. Rush has the contacts, that's for sure.
Not yet, she is now 19 weeks... You should see the sonograms
"I had no intention of withholding documents from the commission..."
Just a common, absent-minded mistake. Sounds reasonable to me. Nothing to see here. Let's MoveOn.
But IN HIS PANTS!? I mean, come on. Even if you are going to admit that you "accidentally" lifted this critical governent evidence, would you tell them you did it by stuffing 'em in your pants!? That's supposed to sound credible? Are these guys just a bunch of morons?
Do you think that Gorelick might have given them the heads-up on these Millenium documents, which then promoted Clinton to send Berger to the Archives.
Because one of the archivists knows him and was probably looking for advice. An archivist going to your house?? When hell freezes over unless it would cost them their job.
I was surprised that Berger said he "knowingly" took the handwritten documents. Why admit that? And as national security advisor, he knew better.
BTW, look at what newsmax resurrected:
The case of the pilfered Clinton terror files isn't the first time Sandy Berger has had to do some fancy rhetorical footwork to explain away the obvious.
In Sept. 2002, he flatly denied during sworn Congressional testimony that the government of Sudan had ever offered to turn over Osama bin Laden to his boss, Bill Clinton.
While Congress didn't press him on the details, Berger had a tougher time a few months later during an interview with WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg, who grilled him on Clinton's Feb. 2002 admission that the Sudanese offer was indeed real. "I've seen [Clinton's] quote," he told Malzberg. "And I think at the time there was some examination of whether or not he could be held here if, in fact, we had an opportunity to get him. And the judgment was that we didn't have any basis to hold him here at that time."
But Berger insisted the Clinton administration's conclusion that it couldn't detain bin Laden "was not pursuant to an offer by the Sudanese. "
"The Sudanese never offered to give him to the United States," he insisted. "This is something I've gone back to check very carefully on. No one knows of any such offer." When asked why the Clinton administration didn't press Sudan to release bin Laden to the U.S. after Saudi Arabia rejected a plan to have him sent there, Berger grew defensive.
"The Sudanese . . . had no intention of turning bin Laden over to someone who would have been hostile, period," he insisted. What about Clinton's admission to the contrary? No doubt it was just another case of what Berger might call "sloppiness
If you read the article carefully, it seems the Archives staff caught Berger red-handed (he "misplaced" a document they gave him), and so they then gave him "marked" copies (read "traceable") which he promptly stuck in his pants, coat and briefcase before he waddled out...
Sounds like he was either 1) desperate; or 2) confident that he wouldn't face any real consequences. If recent history is any guide (lost e-mails, Whitewater and FBI files, classified CIA docs on the director's home computer, etc., ad nauseum), I'd say it was a safe gamble.
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