AP: Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos [Sandy Berger is the focus of a criminal investigation]

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[Sub-Driver]

AP: Clinton Adviser Probed in Terror Memos

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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.

[pageonetoo]

...They defiled the White House enough during the Clintoon reign of terror and treason.

True, but the cameras are on the WH constantly, and the decadence should be ended there! Every evening news report should have pictures of the current stages of decomposition, and buzzardry! Slimes...

[Sacajaweau]

Amazing!!!!!! Berger should invest in kevlar!!

[McGruff]

Check out my new tag-line.

[Brilliant]

There is no way on earth he could have "accidentally" discarded these important documents. He's a crook and a traitor.

[Grampa Dave]

No hanging of Rat white trash around the White House.

Let them hang around the DNC and voting places this November.

[Lurking in Kansas]

My morning BBT!

I’m more upset this morning than I was last night. This story is barely getting mentioned. Fox is giving coverage, but ABCNBCCBSCNN are covering his a** for him and it was buried on page 17 in the NY Slimes. If Condi had done a trick like this the major networks would be going 24/7 & the dims would be having stokes.

Outrageous!

[No Surrender No Retreat]

I twould be nice to see the klintoon commie team locked up for obstruction, perjury, purloining/destroying classified information. I am sure that some of our spineless repubs will cave when the time comes. Just think if this were President Bush's national security adviser. He would have been already drawn and quartered by the demos. ex-mp/ci drive on brother. Bush/Cheney 2004

[Mudboy Slim]

"On Mr. Berger's watch, Chinese intelligence carried out a massive and successful penetration of the White House itself. A number of persons identified by the CIA as associates of Chinese intelligence poured millions of dollars in illegal campaign funds into the 1996 Clinton-Gore re-election effort. The Riady family of Indonesia, criminal syndicate figure Ng Lapsing, convicted entrepreneur Johnny Chung, fugitive businessman Ted Sieong and indicted Democratic fund-raiser Maria Hsia all had such connections, all were major donors and collectively, they had hundreds of contacts with the White House, President Clinton or Vice President Al Gore. On Mr. Berger's watch, American anti-proliferation laws have not been applied to Chinese military companies when illegal campaign contributions to Clinton-Gore were part of the mix. High-ranking Chinese military spy and arms dealer Liu Chaoying laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars into the 1996 campaign, all the while secretly selling cruise missiles to Iran. On Mr. Berger's watch, the Clinton administration inaugurated a program of rehabilitation for Chinese generals who have the blood of Chinese young people on their hands. As near as we can determine, at least six People's Liberation Army general officers with personal command and control responsibility for the 1989 Tiananmem Square massacre have received the royal treatment in Washington. Nearly all this occurred in secret."

RE-IMPEACH. CONVICT. DETHRONE.
DISBAR. DE-PENSION. DE-LEGITIMIZE.
INDICT. CONVICT. IMPRISON. DISCARD KEY.

SHEEEEEEEESH...MUD

[truthandlife]

Let's hope that President Bush has pulled off the greatest rope-a-dope in political history .

It is interesting that Freepers have been saying why hasn't Bush been more proactive in his re-election campaign. Why hasn't he been more agressive.

I think we are starting to find out and I only think this is the tip of the iceberg. The "October Surprise" is going to surprise everyone and Bush has not even fired a shot yet.

Clinton, Kerry and company will look like the most incompetent, lying, treasonous Democrat Party this country has ever seen before this election and national security will be at the forefront of this election in November and Bush will win and win big.

[livius]

So wonder why Tenet really left. Could it be because of Berger?

Interesting possibility.

[Quilla]

The media will, of course, immediately look to change the subject by making the leak the story, deflecting attention away from the fact that once again, Rats have been caught red-handed destroying evidence to cover their tracks.

Are you politically astute or what? Governsleastgovernsbest's Today Show report this morning includes this quote:

Gergen than went way beyond a mere defense of Berger's honesty and patriotism. He decided to perpetrate a smear of Republicans and by extension the Bush administration. Claimed Gergen: "It's rather suspicious to Berger's associates that the story would leak just before the 9/11 Commission report is due out. He's been investigated for months. A man of utter integrity who served this country well. This is a distraction from the findings of 9/11 Commission."

Kudos to you, CFC__VRWC!

[McGruff]

This story is barely getting mentioned

I would respectively disagree. It's all over the air waves and TV. Talk radio will not let this die. As with most Clinton era scandals we are probably just seeing the tip of the iceberg.

[gswilder]

CBS radio news lead with the story at 8am this morning. But here is how they said it "Former Clinton NSA Sandy Berger is in hot water with the Bush justice department". The "Bush" justice department? I thought it was the US justice department! Also they had a couple of democratic officials making comments that this was politically motived by Bush to distract from the upcoming 9-11 report.

[theophilusscribe]

Agree! Its all about the strategery . . . and giving your opponent enough rope to hang himself . . .

[truthandlife]

Don't worry talk radio will talk about this 24/7 and there is no way that the Dems and leftist media can deny a criminal investigation.

I really do hope they have a camera filming Berger. This will be one of two films that will define the Clinton presidency if they have it. The other one would be 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."

[Blood of Tyrants]

Speaking of crooks and traitors, the Nashville Tennessean (owned by Knight Ridder) decided that this story rated no more than a page 5 showing.

Nothing to see here! Move along.

[jriemer]

This bit of news brings two things to mind:

1. This is not the first time a Clinton official was investigated for losing / mishandling Top Secret information. Madeleine Albright's State Department lost a lap top chock full of Top Secret (code word) documents in 2000 and it has never been recovered.

2. The Clinton camp and their "customers" must be desperate for current intelligence data if they send in their direct associates to steal this information with such a high risk of being caught.

[Alia]

bump

[Grampa Dave]

Add all of the Los Alamos lost stuff during the Looney Toon years of the Clintoons.

With Jake Reno and its clone, Gorelick in the AG's office there was no controlling legal authority.

That has changed.

[NeonKnight]

If you write the editor, or reader advocate of your local newspaper, just ask one simple question. If it had been Condeleeza Rice who had been caught doing this, would it still have been on page 17?