Congress May Launch Sandy Berger Probe

NewsMax ^ | 4/10/05 | Carl Limbacher

[wagglebee]

Congress is considering launching its own investigation into the theft of top secret terrorism documents by former Clinton national security advisor Sandy Berger, according to an influential House Republican.

"Several committees in Congress are interested in looking into the Berger issue," Peter King told WWRL Radio hosts Steve Malzberg and Karen Hunter on Thursday.

The senior New York Republican declined to identify the specific committees, but said any probe would come before Berger was formally sentenced in July.

Questions continue to swirl about the five copies of a Millennium bomb plot after-action report stolen by Berger - focusing on why he cut three of those copies "into small pieces."

Berger defenders insist that documents he took contained no original notes in the margins.

"Those documents, emphatically, without doubt - I reviewed them myself - don't have notations on them," prosecutor Noel Hillman told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

But Hillman offered no explanation why Berger shredded three copies and not all five, returning the remaining two to the National Archives.

When news of Berger's theft broke last July, the Justice Department took a much tougher line - with Deputy Attorney General James Comey suggesting that it made no difference whether the documents Berger had stolen were originals.

"It is against the law for anyone to intentionally mishandle classified information, either by taking it to give to somebody else, or by mishandling in a way that is outside the regulations of government information," Comey told reporters at the time.

"All felonies in the federal system bring with them the promise of jail time," he added. Asked how Berger should be held accountable if the documents he destroyed contained any original material, Rep. King told Malzberg, "He should go to jail."

[wagglebee]

"All felonies in the federal system bring with them the promise of jail time," he added. Asked how Berger should be held accountable if the documents he destroyed contained any original material, Rep. King told Malzberg, "He should go to jail."

Damn right he should!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

I'd rather see the title: Congress May Launch Sandy Berger Probe Into Deep Space

[Boundless]

Don't git yer hopes up.

This might just be a gambit to take the mostly fake heat
off Delay.

[Libertina]

They "MAY"? Sigh, I guess it's better than nothing.

[dc-zoo]

I agree that Berger (like Jackson) is "getting off" much too easy. Its time to pay the piper.

[newzjunkey]

Figures it's NewsMax thus it means nothing. Dang. Congress SHOULD DEFINITELY launch a probe into Sandy Burgler's actions.

[mewzilla]

...returning the remaining two to the National Archives.

How do they know he returned the originals...?

[Tacis]

I assume that the Justice Department charge against Berger was conducted by Clintonistas that W refused to purge. With dem criminality, always assume that some of what is eventually seen is a diversion; an attempt to conceal a major crime by leaving evidence of a much lesser crime.

Berger was clearly destroying/hiding evidence of some corruption of Willie's. With Congressional resources and honest Republican resolve, the remove where Berger stole these documents should be searched, file by file, page by page. If Berger got caught because he stole and destroyed worthless documents, it must be because he did something with much more valuable documents. Remember, he always ran the risk of being caught in the act so he couldn't risk stealing the documents he really wanted to lose. If he didn't steal or destroy them, he propably hid them. In a semi-secure library/office, where would a slippery, devious guy hide one to several pages so they'd never be found? I don't know, but the honest Republican Congressshould find out.

[Publius6961]

"Those documents, emphatically, without doubt - I reviewed them myself - don't have notations on them," prosecutor Noel Hillman told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

I would add this sh*****d to the list to be investigated. Noel Hillman has no way of knowing which copies the crook stole and destroyed, so he is in no position to say that.
And he can't even speculate why the Burglar would steal three unmarked "copies", destroy them and risk humiliation and jail for no reason whatsoever.

Let's also talk about security clearance. Why should it be merely "suspended" instead of permanently revoked? This criminal has demonstrated as clearly as necessary that he is a security risk. Why would the government grant a probable felon any kind of a security clearance?

When the First Rapist was president, I was absolutely convinced that blackmail and extortion were being applied by the executive. Whatever material was being used then, I suspect has been reactivated today.
That is the only reasonable explanation as to why this criminal (Sandy Burglar) is not already behind bars.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Congress is considering launching its own investigation into the theft of top secret terrorism documents by former Clinton national security advisor Sandy Berger, according to an influential House Republican.

"Considering"....isn't that what Congressional Republicans do best?

[river rat]

""All felonies in the federal system bring with them the promise of jail time,"......

A "promise" as valuable as most of any politician's "promise"..

Rest assured, our congress will spend far more time improving their pensions, planning foreign junkets, whoring around and covering their asses --- than on applying THEIR laws against their own...

A POX on all their asses..

Semper Fi

[gaspar]

Can't you just see an investigation starring Snowe, Collins, McCain, Specter, Hagel and Graham?

[Brian Allen]

<< Don't git yer hopes up.

This might just be a gambit to take the mostly fake heat
off Delay. >>

"Mostly fake?"

You [And I] wish.

Mr Delay, like every other of the rotten bastards who went to Washington to do Good -- has instead stayed there to do well!

[tang-soo]

This is a vanity article I posted last summer when this story first broke. I make the point through personal experince with classified data, that Berger's claims of an 'honest' mistake is an absolute lie.

As with the Clintonistas' Modus Operandi in the past, they count on the media not asking the difficult questions. Also, they count on those in the public with no personal experience or knowledge to know any difference when they lie. My goal with this article is to pose the difficult questions and to inform those without personal knowledge of how classified data is handled how the circumstances posed by Berger and his defenders is a lie.

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.

I should stress that I'm no security expert - but I did work in that environment for nearly 12 years as an engineer in the aerospace industry (stealth technology). Amongst my duties, I was also the secured computer contact person during our department's audits with "The customer" and the FBI. This included things like proving procedures were being followed concerning the registering, cataloging and tracking of classified storage media, secured networks, hardcopy audit trails ... etc. It was not very exciting work - very boring but also needed.

Because of this work, I have a good idea of what that part of the world looks like. Who knows though after #42 and his crowd. I remember how O'leary (spelling) turned the DoE upside down with her wacky ideas of security. Remember the classified media supposedly found behind the copy machine during the Wen Ho-Li case? I have a friend who works for a private computer consulting firm that is contracted by the DoE and I think the DoD to perform inspections at government and contractor facilities. He told me the rules changed significantly during Clinton's years (to the worse) but I have no first hand knowledge

[inquest]

"Considering"....isn't that what Congressional Republicans do best?

Hey, come on, now, they have more important things to do right now. Like investigate steroids in baseball.

[spodefly]

I'll believe it when I see it, you gutless wonders.

If any one of us ordinary citizens had stolen Federal documents and then lied to Federal investigators about it, we would be breaking rocks in Levenworth for the next 20 years. DC insiders always walk away unscathed.

Prove me wrong.

[hosepipe]

[ Rep. King told Malzberg, "He should go to jail." ]

BUT not before the modus operandi is traced..
Why did he do it.?.
Who made a deal for the slap on ther wrist, AND WHY.?
He could NOT have done this ALONE.?. because of the "rules"..
Many questions related to the sheer audacity and arrogance of the deed.?.
The big question, "Do we indeed have any National Security AT ALL."..?.
or is it all game that the politically elite play with each other.?.

i.e. Sandy Burgular, Vince Foster, White Sands LapTop(computers) disappearing, many on the Clintoon death list.. ,Mclaim offered to run as democrat VeeP in 2004, Clintoon offering to SELL the Communist Chinese Terminal Island Naval Base(Long Beach CA.) lock stock and barrel.., many other strange issues..

Yeah the Sandy Berger affair will be watched.. closly.. theres no doubt the Fox is in the Henhouse.. even if Sandy is thrown under the bus, the Fox is still there.. and there seems to be NO barnyard DOG.. or hes developed a taste for CHICKEN..

[Cboldt]

* yawn *

[Liz]

Ponder this: when caught with the goods, Berger admitted to taking top secret documents the Archives did not even know went missing.....leading one to conclude, Berger took a lot more than has been revealed, a lot more than even the Archives knew about.

[wagglebee]

I think there are things at work here that we will never know about. The Justice Department and Berger both seemed overly eager to put a quick end to this, I have a feeling that any Congressional investigations will run into some major "roadblocks" in the way of less than cooperative participation from the Justice Department.

[mewzilla]

.....leading one to conclude, Berger took a lot more than has been revealed, a lot more than even the Archives knew about.

And I wonder about anything he might have put back....

[hosepipe]

[ I have a feeling that any Congressional investigations will run into some major "roadblocks" in the way of less than cooperative participation from the Justice Department. ]

Justice Department just may be an oxy-moron..

[sanjacjake]

Sandy Burglar is getting away with slimy, stinkin,
socks. He will be around when Hillary runs...Do
you think he will head up the Watergate underground
to get Hillary some needed dirt on? ......Fill in
the name.... Pubs are going down the tubes unless they
show some spine in the Senate ..and dish Hillary when
she votes against qualified Judges...See Schumer today?
I swear..between the Senators here in California and
New York...the country is going to hell in a hand basket.
Jake

[Matchett-PI]

"Mr Delay, like every other of the rotten bastards who went to Washington to do Good -- has instead stayed there to do well!" ~ Brian Allen

It appears as if you want us to believe that you're an expert on "rotten bastards". Are you projecting? Are you a victim of misinformation? Or maybe you just lack discernment.

I can only help if it's a misinformation problem:

Rahm Emanuel Behind DeLay Hit April 8, 2005
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380961/posts?page=52#52

Rush: Media Circles DeLay - The media's out for his scalp
Rush Limbaugh Radio Show ^ | 4-6-05 | Rush Limbaugh
Posted on 04/07/2005 11:53:53 AM EDT by Matchett-PI
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1379223/posts

LA Times: In Nevada, Reid Is the Name to Know
http://www.latimes.com/la-na-sonsday223jun23,1,1120739.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

LA Times - June 23, 2003 THE SENATORS' SONS: PART TWO
In Nevada, Reid Is the Name to Know
By Chuck Neubauer and Richard T. Cooper Times Staff Writers

Members of one lawmaker's family represent nearly every major industry in their home state. And their clients rely on his goodwill. [snip]

Rush: Media Ignores Rampant Harry Reid Corruption But Goes Nuts Over Martinez, DeLay
Rush Limbaugh Show ^ | 4-7-05 | Rush Limbaugh
Posted on 04/07/2005 11:42:50 PM EDT by Matchett-PI
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1379608/posts

DeLay's Backers Launch Offense
Washington Post ^ | April 10, 2005 | Mike Allen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40496-2005Apr9.html
Posted on 04/09/2005 10:56:45 PM EDT by FairOpinion
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380684/posts


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1380961/posts?page=54#54

[tet68]

""All felonies in the federal system bring with them the promise of jail time,"......

It all depends on the meaning of "promise".

[sourcery]

"Congress May Launch Sandy Berger Probe"

I hope they aim it at the appropriate point of his anatomy, and provide sufficient follow-through to achieve a righteous objective.

[Liz]

And I wonder about anything he might have put back.....Forgeries come to mind.

[Fast1]

Just a bunch of chest beating nothing will come of it!

[Liz]

The Clinton Legacy ---- the gift that keeps on giving.

[Skeeve14]

At least say the "top secret" papers were library books so he at least be charged with something harsh.

[wagglebee]

The Clinton Legacy ---- the gift that keeps on giving.

I'm hoping that within ten or twenty years the Bent One will have a sexually transmitted disease named after him, that would be the "crowning achievement" to the Klintoon legacy.

[stylin19a]

Those documents, emphatically, without doubt - I reviewed them myself - don't have notations on them," prosecutor Noel Hillman told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

um....does Hillman have security to see those documents ?

[Czar]

"Can't you just see an investigation starring Snowe, Collins, McCain, Specter, Hagel and Graham?"

Yes, the "Dream Team".

[NHResident]

The WSJ's editorial defense of Berger for two days running was an absolute insult to the intelligence of anyone with basic logic skills. It takes absolutely incredible leaps of faith that one has to undertake to give ANY creditability to the investigation as reported. After reading the WSJ editorial comments on the second day, I felt embarrassed for whomever at the WSJ wrote it. The whole Berger story just demonstrates the contempt with which Washington and the MSM hold the rest of the country.

[Liz]

Heheh.....something to look forward to.

[inquest]

If the Senate is put in charge of this investigation you can kiss it goodbye. It absolutely needs to be the H.R. if it's to even get off the ground.

[ChildOfThe60s]

I have a feeling that any Congressional investigations will run into some major "roadblocks" in the way of less than cooperative participation from the Justice Department.

Agreed. Remember what branch of the government runs the JD. For reasons I cannot fathom, Bush has soft peddled any action on obvious law breaking by Bill, Hillary and their operatives.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Hey, come on, now, they (Congress) have more important things to do right now. Like investigate steroids in baseball.

I'm smacking myself upside my own head.

How could I forget that Congress will stand for nothing important???

[leadpenny]

HAS SANDY BERGER BEEN CLEARED?

Congressional Republicans must think we're a bunch of fools out here.

I finally found what I've been looking for the past few days.

At post #10 on the above thread of 30 Jul 04, I posted the following which I had taken from my critter's Chairmanship website (it has since been removed the Reform Committee website and, of course, Rep Tom Davis (R-VA) never held the hearings):

reform.house.gov

Government Reform
Contact: David Marin (202) 225-5074

Davis to Investigate Berger Allegations

Washington, Jul 21 -

House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) announced today that the Committee intends to investigate allegations that former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, in preparation for 9-11 Commission hearings, took highly sensitive terrorism documents from a secure reading room at the National Archives.

The Government Reform Committee, which has jurisdiction over the National Archives, is the primary investigative committee in the House of Representatives.

“These allegations are deeply troubling, and it’s our constitutional responsibility to find out what happened and why,” Davis said. “It boggles the mind to imagine how a former national security advisor walked off with this kind of material in his pants, or wherever on his body he carried it. At best, we’re looking at tremendously irresponsible handling of highly classified information – some of which, I understand, has not yet been located.

“At worst, his actions suggest an intentional effort to keep critical information away from the Commission and the American public. We are now left wondering whether the Commission, set to release its report tomorrow, had access to all of the information it needed to fully do its job. The American people’s faith in our review of 9-11, in our war on terror, in our transparency, is literally at stake in this investigation. It is my hope that Mr. Berger cooperates fully with the Justice Department as its investigation proceeds. Meanwhile, as we continue to afford him the presumption of innocence he deserves, we will fulfill our duty to the American people to get to the bottom of this disturbing breach of trust and protocol.”

Carl Limbacher needs to give RINO Tom Davis a call.

[Brian Allen]

I stand by what I wrote and will not follow your descent into the ad hominem.

Mr Delay will be hoist by his own petard.

I will not cheer his demise.

But we will both soon witness it.

[As you appear to have forgotten -- as has Mr Delay -- we Republicans are held to a way higher standard than are them dems]

[ArmyBratproud]

Congress May Launch Sandy Berger Probe"

---

Yeah, yeah. And Frist will put in the nuke option.

Republicans won't waste the mandate.

Republicans will fight back against witch hunts.


It is all just a bunch of talk.
The Republican leadership is a joke.

[inquest]

I stand by what I wrote and will not follow your descent into the ad hominem.

You're apparently also not going to follow his "descent" into posting facts and research. Why should you, when you know that the liberal establishment will succeed in crucifying DeLay? It's so much easier just to go along to get along.

[Matchett-PI]

"As you appear to have forgotten -- as has Mr Delay -- we Republicans are held to a way higher standard than are them dems." ~ Brian Allen

I see that you take pride in your legalistic, naive "rigid perfectionist" approach to life.

Streetfighter DemocRATS just LOVE dealing with mentalities like you - they turn you every way but loose. You'll never know what hit you.

These are "the rules" that Hillary and her friends follow when taking on your types:

"Make the enemy live up to his/her own book of rules. You can kill them with this. They can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity."

"The threat is generally more terrifying than the thing itself."

"In a fight almost anything goes. It almost reaches the point where you stop to apologize if a chance blow lands above the belt."

"Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it and polarize it."

These "rules" are excerpted from Hillary's friend and mentor Saul Alinsky's book, "Rules for Radicals".

You're no match for them.

Tom DeLay is. That's why they FEAR him.

[MinuteGal]

I love the DC games......."you lay off DeLay, and we'll lay off Berger".

Not that I approve of these games, har dee har har, but given Republican knees of jello, I think our side should make this deal.

DeLay is more important remaining in the Congress than the alternative of a third-rate bergler wearing an ankle bracelet at home for 90 days.

Leni

[mad_as_he$$]

Interesting title since he hid it in his pants!

[mad_as_he$$]

Dude!!!!

[ken21]

re-writing history before the future historians get the documents.

[PGalt]

In the meantime another Democratic Crime Syndicate operative runs free to wreak havoc on The United States of America.

[whadizit]

If this happens, it will be quite a surprise since the Republicans NEVER, EVER do anything to offend the Dems. You know they are not going to carry through with this...they would just do it rather than toss out a "possibility" to test the waters. JUST DO SOMETHING FOR ONCE...you yellow-bellied COWARDS!! I am so angry at Republicans for rolling over constantly that I may be willing to vote them ALL OUT!!!!

[tubebender]

Marking...