Flashtraffic: Gore asked CIA to keep information from Congress

World Magazine ^ | January 11, 2003 | Joel C. Rosenberg

[Timesink]

THE BUZZ

Flashtraffic: Gore asked CIA to keep information from Congress

Gregory Vistica's new book sheds new light on Al Gore's activity in the White House.

By Joel C. Rosenberg

During the heat of the 1996 presidential campaign, Vice President Al Gore asked the Central Intelligence Agency to provide his daughter a false passport, a false driver's license, training in classified covert operations, and special security protection in Europe—and then keep it from Congress. The startling story—reported in a forthcoming book by Gregory L. Vistica, a 60 Minutes II producer and former Newsweek correspondent—comes out on the heels of Mr. Gore's surprising announcement that he would not run for president in 2004.

Mr. Vistica writes in The Education of Lieutenant Kerrey (Thomas Dunne Books, January 2003) that Bob Kerrey—then vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee—learned that the then - vice president had instructed CIA director John Deutch not to notify Congress that the agency was covertly helping to protect Mr. Gore's daughter while she lived in Spain and worked as a reporter for a Madrid newspaper. Federal law requires the agency to provide congressional notification on all covert operations, but at Mr. Gore's insistence refused for months to tell key ranking members of the House and Senate intelligence committees.

"Jeff Smith, then the CIA's general counsel, advised Deutch that the agency had the legal authority to carry out the assignment," writes Mr. Vistica, "but said it was 'exceedingly ill-advised.' Despite Deutch's approval of the operation, the CIA's top management recommended against helping the Gores. If something went wrong, if the girls were hurt or abducted, the agency would take the blame for doing too little or not doing enough. But Gore balked at the recommendation."

[Timesink]

Gee, I can think of all SORTS of things that false passport would have been good for when it comes to furthering the illegal activities of the Clinton-Gore Administration ... can't you?

[Timesink]

bump for bump lists

[Miss Marple]

Indeed I can think of TONS of things. I wonder what name was on that false passport, and where that name shows up...Switzerland, various Midle East countries, Venezuela.....

[STD]

Would this be Korena Gore Schiff?

Schiff of the Bolshevik Russian Revolution Fame.

[theFIRMbss]

"If I get her fake
ID's for Europe, maybe
she'll let go of me..."

[KC_Conspirator]

The startling story—reported in a forthcoming book by Gregory L. Vistica, a 60 Minutes II producer and former Newsweek correspondent—comes out on the heels of Mr. Gore's surprising announcement that he would not run for president in 2004.

Does it not strike people odd that this story came out ONLY when the press was sure Algore would not run again? Did "60 Minutes" hold back on information they had years ago?

[Darksheare]

Yes.

[Mark]

"If something went wrong, if the girls were hurt or abducted, the agency would take the blame for doing too little or not doing enough."

Doing too little or not doing enough??? What kind of writing is this?

[Fiddlstix]

Interesting

[CanisMajor2002]

Not sure he could claim "no controlling passport authority" on this one...

[SwinneySwitch]

Velly intelesting, but shtupid!

[dead]

Doing too little or not doing enough??? What kind of writing is this?

Not too informative and not informative enough.

[zx2dragon]

I can think of a few things. However, if it was indeed to just protect his daughter, I can't argue with it at all. I don't have kids myself, but I know if I did, I would use all the power in the world to keep them safe. And let's face it, should would be and still probably is a good target for the nuts out there.

[WellsFargo94]

Yeah, Clinton's Code of Ethics really benefited Al "Whore for his Party" Gore.

[Freedom2specul8]

Would you have thunk this?

[Wild Irish Rogue]

This story has the potential to be explosive,if true ( which I don't doubt-I bet we'll never know a fraction of the illegal activities that occurred during the clinton/Gore administration!) The media is still too busy trying to hunt down stories about a then 20 yr old, buying a margarita,than to bother with requests for falsified papers for family members of a sitting vice president.

[pepsionice]

My question is...what was this girl going to Europe without a Secret Service team anyway? If she absolutely had to go...then the team should have been dispatched. Obviously, she must have had a huge necessity to make this trip. One looks back at the Clintons and their helpers...who knew the Swiss banking laws...could Gore's daughter have been in the beginning stages of Swiss bank accounts and required a trip to faciilitate that account? It would be interesting to have her explain what her stops were...any in Lux or Switzerland?

[Liz]

This is even more interesting when you remember that at least five Clinton administration people had their security clearances lifted in the year 2000 alone including CIA's Deutch who "lost" a CIA computer loaded with data (who is the one according to this article that apparently approved breaking the law in the covert Gore operation).

[ArcLight]

Well said zx2. This story actually makes me think better of Gore. He may have blundered, but his motive seems decent enough.

[Grampa Dave]

As much as I detest the Goron and take every opportunity to take a well deserved whack at this whacko, I can't fault him for doing this.

I would suggest that we just let this be one of the many of his foibles and let it pass.

If I had a college age son or daughter who could have been a target of kidnapping or terrorism, I would have done whatever to protect her or him while they were overseas. I think that most parents feel that way, and this is one of those areas we lose when we pursue it.

Just note it and list and move on. The Goron is rapidly becoming a fading dot in the history of life.