Posted on 07/20/2004 6:33:22 AM PDT by foolscap
Sandy Berger Not Front Page News in Some Major Newspapers
(CNSNews.com) - President Clinton's National Security Adviser Sandy Berger - who has been advising the Kerry campaign on foreign policy -- confirms he is the target of a criminal investigation for removing copies of classified terrorism documents from a secure reading room at the National Archives.
Some copies were never returned, press reports said. The documents reportedly discuss the Clinton administration's response to various terror threats.
Berger admits he walked out of the reading room with handwritten notes stuck in his pockets. Copies of classified documents were "inadvertently" removed in a leather portfolio. "I deeply regret the sloppiness involved," Berger said in a statement to the Associated Press on Monday.
The documents in question are said to be critical of the Clinton administration.
But Berger said he had no intention of withholding documents from the 9/11 commission. "To the contrary, to my knowledge, every document requested by the commission from the Clinton administration was produced," Berger said in the statement,
"In the course of reviewing over several days thousands of pages of documents on behalf of the Clinton administration in connection with requests by the Sept. 11 commission, I inadvertently took a few documents from the Archives," Berger said.
"When I was informed by the Archives that there were documents missing, I immediately returned everything I had except for a few documents that I apparently had accidentally discarded," he said.
Timing of leak 'suspicious'
David Gergen, a former adviser to President Clinton, told NBC's Today show on Tuesday that the situation is "more innocent than it looks."
He said Berger would never do anything to compromise national security.
In fact, Gergen called Berger "one of the heroes in the war against terrorism." He said Berger - as the millennium approached - led the effort to prevent a terror attack on the Los Angeles airport and other targets in the U.S. Gergen said Berger successfully thwarted the airport attack.
Gergen admits Berger violated Archive rules by leaving the building with notes on classified documents. But, he added, "It's not a serious violation."
Taking copies of classified documents is also forbidden. But, Gergen noted, the originals were never removed, and the 9/11 commission was never denied access to documents.
Gergen said the investigation of Berger started months ago, and he called it "suspicious" and "questionable" that the story was leaked in the same week that the 9/11 commission plans to release its report on the events and intelligence leading up to the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Gergen said the publicity about Berger has the "overtones" of being a distraction from the 9/11 commission's findings. "Let's let more facts come out," he added.
As for Berger's role in advising Sen. Kerry, Gergen said the revelations may force Berger to distance himself from the soon-to-be Democratic nominee.
"I think a lot depends on how it bounces in the press, what his opponents do to it," Gergen said. "So far it's not been given - The Washington Post played it inside the newspaper, did not play it on their front page today."
But, Gergen added, "If this suddenly becomes a front page story - and there's a lot of whoop-dee-do about it - then there will be some pressure on him to distance himself [from the Kerry campaign]."
The Washington Post played the story at the top of page 2. The New York Times played the story at the bottom of Page 16. USA Today was among the newspapers playing it above the fold on the front page.
Fox & Friends showed where the NYT put it..........Buried on page A-7, or 17. Real small blurb.
It's all OK because there were backup copies.
As NSA chief, Berger knew that there were backup copies, so that's what made it OK for him to take them.
Now I know that the reason for the emphasis on Berger's story this morning is to plant the supposedly "exculpatory" story about the backup copies. Now they can bury it.
This sounds like Gergen is part of damage control.
Other stories said that he took some originals and they were not returned.
It will be interesting to find out what was on them.
Oh, for crying out loud. The millenium plot at LAX was stopped because an alert border agent in Washington State was suspicious of a Middle Eastern man crossing over from Canada who acted nervous. Said border agent had never seen any warnings or tips from higher-ups, she acted on her own.
Yes, it was good that the plot was stopped by this employee, but giving credit to Sandy Berger or any other Clinton figure is ridiculous.
Well, as a US citizen, I know they have copies of the Declaration of Independance, so I will just march up to the National Archives and take an original for myself.
"But Berger said he had no intention of withholding documents from the 9/11 commission. "To the contrary, to my knowledge, every document requested by the commission from the Clinton administration was produced," Berger said in the statement,"
This is hogwash. Why didn't the Commission send their staffers over to go through the documents, why ask the Clinton administration to pick and choose what to produce?
"In the course of reviewing over several days thousands of pages of documents on behalf of the Clinton administration in connection with requests by the Sept. 11 commission, I inadvertently took a few documents from the Archives," Berger said"
How does one "inadvertently" take documents when one is not suppose to?
Once the FBI was alerted this Commission went into cover up mode, and willingly made themselves look like a partism sham, so the rest of us would ignore them.
David Gergen is a soft s**t. This supposed REpublican will excuse any lefty.
I think the Rats took the bait - hook, line, and sinker. We'll see in the next few days.
"Oh, for crying out loud. The millenium plot at LAX was stopped because an alert border agent in Washington State was suspicious of a Middle Eastern man crossing over from Canada who acted nervous. Said border agent had never seen any warnings or tips from higher-ups, she acted on her own.
Yes, it was good that the plot was stopped by this employee, but giving credit to Sandy Berger or any other Clinton figure is ridiculous."
I agree, so makes me wonder what Berger was really after. Could it be that the Clintons weren't too please that the border agent had successfully prevented the plot? This bunch really believed that algore was going to be the next president and Hillry got herself cover by running for the Senate. There is no club like that club for protecting its own.
I was at the bank the other day, day-dreaming about Jimmy Cagney movies. I got to the Teller and inadvertantly said, "This is a stick-up!" Next thing I know, people are stuffing money in my pockets!! I was so confused, I didn't know what to do! So, I walked out calmly, then ran down the alley to where I had stashed my car. Then I went home and inadvertantly shaved my beard.
On the other hand, I think this illustrates the power of the alternate news sources like the internet and talk radio.
Bottom right of A1 in the Austin Pravda. Just the headline and a couple of paragraphs there and the rest on the back page of the A section.
I have this bad feeling that this is another set up akin to the initial reports of Slick Willy storming out of his deposition during the Jones matter.
If any "common man" did what Berger admits, he would be buried so deep that sunlight would have to be pumped in.
I was, as part of my job, reviewing classified documents earlier today.
I can imagine what would happen if I made copies, took the copies out, and then told military investigators, "But I left the originals!"
Gergen is carrying water for the Clinton's, that much can't be denied.
This is a HUGE STORY.
"I think the Rats took the bait - hook, line, and sinker. We'll see in the next few days."
Well this doctoring the files and getting caught does explain the hysteria these liberals have been exhibiting over the past months.
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