Guards Finger Berger in Sox Docs Heist

NewsMax.com ^ | 7/22/04 | Carl Limbacher

[crazycat]

He could also have been taking photo's of the Doc's, then having them checked, then removing them next time.

[MayflowerMadam]

"Then why the heck did they (the guards) allow this??!! They should be summarily fired."

Not sure, but wouldn't he have been their ultimate boss? Life is difficult for whistle blowers. They probably needed their jobs.

[1Old Pro]

I am extremely surprised that Berger wasn't searched, and his cell phone taken away, before he entered the facility.

Or at a minimum, when he TOLD the gurads that he HAD A PHONE and wanted to USE IT and requested the LEAVE the room, the guards would have confiscated the phone and kicked him out after searching him.

[tang-soo]

I've posted this top a few other threads. Please ignore if you've seen it before ...

I called our local Clear Channel station the night after this story broke and spoke for about 10 minutes describing the procedures used to handle classified information. The following is a basic description of what I said ...

1) A person who wishes to review classified information at a given facility must have his/her clearance on file with the security office that has legal custody of the information.

2) Once they arrive to the facility, they must show their credentials to identify themselves, sign into the facility - maybe issued a badge indicating their clearance and access and escorted to the room where the material will be reviewed.

3) A quick sidebar on program access and document marking. The term "Access" refers to the concept of "Need to Know". The fact you have a clearance that matches the level required to have access to the material does not establish your "need to know". It must be determined by someone like a program manager or security personnel that your job function requires access to certain information. If you are granted access, you may be required to go through another level of investigation. Some levels of access (at least the ones I was exposed to) are known as "Special Need to Know" or SNTK (pronounced Snick) and "Special Access Required" or SAR. Programs with these designations require special prominent markings on each page of a classified document along with the classification level. Believe it or not, after all the markings (top and bottom) there usually is enough room for the content of the page.

4) I should also mention that each paragraph of the document starts with a designation indicating the classification level of that paragraph. This would look like (U), (C), (S), (S/SAR), (S/SNTK), (TS) or (TS/SAR). Every page is marked top and bottom based upon the highest level of any paragraph on that page. ie. it's possible to have an unclassified page in a top secret document. And as you might think, the overall classification of the document is classified at the highest level of any single page.

5) This next point is especially important in light of the current investigation. Every page is marked "Page x of y Pages". For example page 13 of a 32 page document would be clearly marked in the banner section of the page "Page 13 of 32 Pages". This is done for obvious reasons - if any page is missing, it can be accounted for. The page count is also part of the document's registration in the security catalog.

6) Once in the room, the container (probably a safe i.e. a very heavy duty file cabinet with heavy combination locks with different combinations on each drawer) is opened. This process should be logged by security personnel.

7) The documents are taken from the container. All classified documents are stamped (each page) with items such as a control number, date of creation, level of clearance (top and bottom), program name indicating what access is required and eventual dispensation (i.e. when the material is designated to destruction if applicable).

8) If the documents are classified "top secret", each document has a log on the cover sheet. EACH time a person has access to this information, they must sign and date it.

9) The material is not to be removed (ie stuffed in underwear, socks ... etc) without approval of security personnel. If this takes place, the transfer is documented on both ends of the transaction. If the material is top secret or above, it requires at least two cleared people as an escort.

10) If you travel overnight, the material is not to be kept in your hotel/motel room but instead must be taken to an approved facility. Arrangements are usually made in advance. Security people do not like suprise visits. They like to make them but not receive them.

11) No photocopies are to be made or notes copied without the proper security personnel logging this activity and making appropriate markings (mentioned above) on the documents.

12) This material is frequently audited by internal security agents and is subject to "suprise" audits conducted by military, FBI or other external security personnel.

13) People given access to this type of information are briefed and attend classes on how to handle this material - ie. no excuses for "honest mistakes".

14) As the NSA for the Clinton administration, I imagine Berger was personally responsible that this protocol was designed, implemented and enforced by his staff - at least in an appropriately managed administration. This would apply to government employees, officials, military personnel and civilians under contract and extended clearances issued by the DoD, DoE or other intel operations.

15) As such, ANYBODY who has worked in this environment and heard Mr. Berger's comments yesterday about being "sloppy" and "an honest mistake" knows beyond any doubt that he was not only lying, but this was a premeditated act.

16) I left the aerospace business(as an engineer) in 1993 so these comments are based upon the security world of that time. Only Lord knows how the Clinton administration changed things during his 8 years.

That summarizes what I mentioned to Steve Cannon of WTVN 610 AM (Columbus, Oh) the night after the story broke.

I should have added another issue that may pertain to the current case. The concept of "Working papers". This would be scratch material that is never intended to end up in a document being prepared. For example, preliminary drafts, graphics with various scales, handdrawn sketches, ... etc. Usually, this kind of material is kept in a folder or envelope which is marked as a regular document would be. This folder falls under the same criteria as a regular document ie locking up when not being used ... etc. Usually, this material is collected on a regular basis when the work is finished and tossed into a "burn barrel". The burn barrel is emptied periodically by cleared personnel and either burned or processed through an approved shredder (ends up as dust).

The latest word I have heard is that this material was classified "Code Word Access". Folks, if true, this is "Above Top Secret" ie. John Pollard type material.

So the question comes to mind, why would anybody do such a thing under conditions where he knew he stood a huge chance of being caught? The mission must have been extraordinary for such a risk. The presumption is that he wanted to alter or remove and destroy material that implicated either himself, or quite possibly Mr. Clinton. The fact that some of the material is "lost" implies that regardless of the consequences, the mission has been accomplished with his current situation collateral damage.

Webb Hubbell's infamous quote "I guess I'll have to roll over again for Hillary" comes to mind. Another example of the Clinton whirlwind leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

[Fixit]

[marty60]

Well the question is....was he roaming? or did he get a signal. And I wonder if the FBI listened in. HLS wiretap law?

[Diogenesis]

Every hour he is free encourages more treason and theft.
tick ... tock.....

Every hour he is free encourages more treason and theft.
tick ... tock.....

Every hour he is free encourages more treason and theft.
tick ... tock.....

Every hour he is free encourages more treason and theft.
tick ... tock.....

Every hour he is free encourages more treason and theft.
tick ... tock.....

Every hour he is free encourages more treason and theft.
tick ... tock.....

[the OlLine Rebel]

"through gross negligence"

This says "negligence". What about "deliberation"?

[grumple]

We need some photoshop extroardinaire to get the Clinton gang all dressed up in Ronald McDonald garb i.e. Clinton as the bulbous red-nosed one himself along with Sandy Berger as the Hamburglar, along with any other cronies matched to an appropriate McDonald's character whilst toting around top secret Happy Meals...

[A Citizen Reporter]

"Any bets that he might have had the capability to send pics of documents to verify that they were the ones that needed to become part of his underwear???"

This is exactly what I was thinking.

[Terabitten]

"the archives are underground. do you know any cell phones that work underground?" Hmmm. I work in DC. Switched to Verizon b/c its the only carrier that works for me in the Metro tunnels. Don't know about underground in Archives - but then why would the guards aquiesce to Berger's request for privacy for phonecalls?

What will be far, far worse for Berger, Clinton, and Kerry is if *no* phone calls were made. Then, the obvious question arises - what were you doing in the bathroom, Mr. Berger? Were you flushing the original documents to facilitate replacing them with doctored copies? Were you using your camera phone to take pictures of them? Lots of interesting questions there.

[aruanan]

Any calls to ex-President Clinton, who had dispatched Berger on the mission in advance of his own 9/11 testimony, could have staggering implications for the Democratic Party.

There's all sorts of stuff that Clinton did that should have "staggering implications for the Democratic Party," but they've blithely ignored them.

[aruanan]

Given his looks, I think Sandy Berger might've smuggled documents squirrel style, in his fat cheeks!

All four of them, huh?

[mware]

I also heard he had several bathroom breaks.

I guess he drank too much ice tea.

[Lurkus Maximus]

Absolutely! Just look at the way the 9-11 commission treated Condi; with contempt and disrespect. The leftist bias on this thing is enormous. Just recently, when Martha Stewart was sentenced, they were in our face saying how it was important that she get prison time to prove to America that the rich can't escape justice. Well, how about the people in high government office? Oh sure, they'll nuke Bush, or Condi, or Cheney, or any other conservative, but how they continually ignore and apply a double standard to the liberals in government just infuriates me!

[MissAmericanPie]

I wonder if Clinton and friends are still laughing it off in front of the cameras?

[Ray'sBeth]

George Stephanopoulus was on WLS in Chicago this morning, and really poked fun at the idea that Berger stuffed things in either his pants or his socks. He said it's totally untrue. He also said that everything that Berger looked at was just copies--even the handwritten notations. Therefore, nothing is really missing!!!

[Incorrigible]

Most excellent!

[Maria S]

"E.D...was attempting to run interference for Handy Bugler this Morning saying it was all congecture and rumor."


I honestly think she was being sarcastic...I think she was saying it "tongue in cheek".

[Tacis]

GUARANTEE! The dem crapsweasel scumbags will start saying that this is a case of entrapment! "Well, golly, why didn't they stop him the first time he made a mistake?"

Shady Berger was, of course, not talking to Willie or Traitor John, but to the lawyer that is handling the destruction of any paper trail that would lead to the money that will got from the Iraqis for leaving Osama relatively alone.

The lawyer is probably connected (yeah, I know) with one of the law firms protecting the fantasy that there was no connection. New York suit?