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???
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