Kerry Anti-Terror Plan Removed From Campaign Web Site After Berger Revelation

Talon News ^ | 7-22-04 | Jeff Gannon

[jmstein7]

Shortly after news broke that former Clinton administration National Security Advisor Samuel "Sandy" Berger was being investigated by the Justice Department for illegally removing highly classified documents from the National Archives, the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) removed its anti-terror plan from its web site.

Republicans have suggested that the information contained in the documents was used to formulate Kerry's policy, but are limited in proving those charges because the material is still classified. The sudden disappearance of the policy from the campaign web site that coincided with Berger's dismissal supports Republicans' contention that the purloined data formed the basis of at least part of the Democratic candidate's homeland security program.

The link to the policy is now defunct, but the original page was temporarily preserved in a Google cache. The Kerry release outlining the policy is also archived on the conservative discussion board FreeRepublic.com (web site).

Key portions of the policy removed from the web site included the following three passages:

-- Increase Port Security and Accelerate Border Security. Currently, 95% of all non-North American U.S. trade moves by sea, concentrated mostly in a handful of ports. John Kerry believes improvements in port security must be made, while recognizing that global prosperity and America's economic power depends on an efficient system. Kerry's plan would develop standards for security at ports and other loading facilities for containers and assure facilities can meet basic standards. To improve security in commerce, John Kerry believes we should accelerate the timetable for the action plans agreed to in the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico "smart border" accords as well as implement security measures for cross-border bridges. Finally John Kerry will pursue modest safety standards for privately held infrastructure and will help owners find economical ways to pay for increased security.

-- Secure Nuclear Power Plants, Nuclear Weapons Facilities and Chemical Facilities. John Kerry will appoint an Energy Secretary who takes nuclear plant security seriously and ensures meticulous follow-up to any security violations. He would also order an immediate review of engagement orders and weaponry for plant guards, and ensure attack simulation drills be as realistic as possible. A Kerry Administration would ensure that security of our nuclear weapons facilities is a U.S. government responsibility -- not cede it to private contractors as the Bush Administration considered doing. A Kerry Administration will tighten security at chemical facilities across the nation that produce or store chemicals, focusing first on facilities in major urban areas where millions of Americans live within the circle of vulnerability.

-- Tighten Aviation Security and Combat Threats to Civilian Aircraft. John Kerry will close loopholes in existing regulations on cargo carried by passenger flights and increase the reliability of new screening procedures. Kerry will increase perimeter inspections of U.S. airports and work with international aviation authorities to make sure the same standards are in place at all international airports. He will work with our allies to crackdown on the sale of shoulder-fired missiles that could be used in an attack on civilian aircraft, and are sold on the black market.

The Kerry campaign did not respond to a Talon News inquiry about the removal of the link from the web site.

Instead of reviewing documents for the 9/11 Commission investigation, Republicans suggested that Berger used the information from the National Archives to help the Kerry campaign.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said, "Reportedly these documents related to homeland security and then suddenly we see that the Kerry campaign came forward with what may have been illegal documents. This is sensitive stuff and was a significant breach of security."

"Kerry knows better than to use these documents," Chambliss added.

Berger admitted to removing documents from the National Archives on five separate occasions, but maintains that it was "inadvertent."

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) believes otherwise, saying, "There is a curious connection between the removal of these documents and the Kerry press conference on port security. It's disappointing what people might do as they try to take the president down."

Berger had been the dominant national security advisor to Sen. Kerry and was suggested by some as a potential Secretary of State in a Kerry administration, something that now appears unlikely no matter what the outcome of November's election.

When asked by NBC if he was aware of the investigation, Kerry said, "I didn't have a clue."

Democrats tried to deflect the damaging revelation by claiming its timing was politically motivated.

"Somebody leaked it obviously with an intent to do damage to Mr. Berger, and that's unfortunate," Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD) said. "I think the timing of all this is curious. Berger deserves the benefit of the doubt until the investigation is complete."

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for the Justice Department to produce documents about any correspondence with the White House on the investigation. He is accusing Republicans of a "smear campaign" against Berger.

McAuliffe has great cause for concern since two important Kerry advisors have been damaged in the past two weeks.

Former Ambassador Joe Wilson was discredited by a Senate Intelligence Committee report that contradicted Wilson's public statements about how he was selected for a sensitive mission to Niger in 2002 and the results of his report about Saddam Hussein's attempt to purchase uranium in Africa. Wilson represented his investigation as proof that President Bush misled the United States in making the case for the invasion of Iraq. An investigation into British intelligence confirms that Bush's claim was "well founded."

While political reactions to the Berger affair are predictably mixed, there is no doubt that the former national security advisor broke the law. The documents he removed carry the highest classifications for secrecy: code word clearance.

Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) called Berger's actions "just a third-rate burglary."

But former FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy disagrees, calling it a grave transgression against national security. Liddy wonders why the Justice Department has not arrested Berger for having admitted to committing five felonies.

Liddy pointed out that Berger is the second Clinton official to face prosecution for withdrawing classified materials from secure premises. Former CIA director John Deutsch was pardoned by President Clinton in the final hours of his second term and spared from suffering any punishment for having taken laptops with classified materials to his home in 1996.

Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) questioned Berger's motivation for the thefts.

He said, "What in heaven's name was he thinking? What is so important that he would risk both his reputation and prosecution to remove these documents? What's there to hide?"

He added, "There is no one with his experience who can claim that these are the actions of an absent-minded employee. Sandy Berger knows better."

Foley recalled the final days of the Clinton administration when he said, "And we thought it was bad when they were only stealing furniture."

[tang-soo]

I've posted this top a few other threads. Please ignore if you've seen it before ...

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 appropri

[Rex_Ruthless]

>"Did the U.S. actually know that a shoulder-slung missile was the reason TWA Flight 800 was shot down?"

Arguably "the U.S." not only knew but the Clinton W.H. went into overdrive to suppress the fact. Mentioning specifically "shoulder-slung missile" instead of just "missile" may be a technique called 'poisoning the well', i.e. planting a seed that will only grow to become a weed, thereby obfuscating the main points. Or maybe this is just a 'straw man'. Shoulder-fired SAMs of that era were unlikely to reach the altitude and go the distance to get to where TWA800 exploded.

Years ago I read in a newsgroup about a light transportable (but not shoulder fired) Swedish SAM that was a reasonable possibility for the deed. I don't remember the make and model. Unfortunately a quick search of Jane's Defense Weekly www site only bumped into the requirement to be a subscriber to access their older articles.

[Grampa Dave]

Everytime I read one of your new threads and the others on this mess, the old Nancy Sinatra song about "These Boots are made for Walking" comes to my old mind.

Pinging the legs.

This is a great summar of the tiein of the stolen data, Kerry's speeches and the removal of those speeches from his web site.

Anyone who can't see the tie in of these events suffers from Mad Troll Disease.

[Grampa Dave]

You might want to use this as your tagline for awhile!

By their web page deletions, ye shall know them

[Grampa Dave]

This is a great summary of the traitor al Kerry. He spent 4 months in Nam and has been a traitor since he returned to America.
"Kerry knows better than to use these documents," Chambliss added."
Kerry knew better how to get out of Vietnam in 4 months by using the "Purple Heart" syndrome.

Kerry knew better how to document his "hero" status by staging vido tapes of himself in Vietnam.

Kerry knew better how to rail against the Vietnam war and tell Congress lies about our fighting men.

I dare say Kerry knows better than many leftists, how to bring the United States to it's knees.

Kerry ... he knows better.



"

[Grampa Dave]

To: counterpunch


..a stroke of genius with an eye for history and a sense of humor!

Kudos to counterpunch for creativity, a sense of history, the ability to tie all of it into a hard hitting visual with a sense of humor, (for our side).

[Grampa Dave]

"I'm willing to bet that Berger's security clearance has yet to be withdrawn."

That is a bet that you would lose.

[G.Mason]

Thanks Grampa Dave.

BTW ... have you seen this yet? It's a hoot. ;)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1176328/posts

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks, it is incredible.

Every veteran, spouse, parent, sibling and friend of a veteran should invest the 5 minutes to view this incredible documentary.

Would those on the ping address please read and ping to your list.

This is powerful, it probably deserves a permanent place on Free Republic and any other conservative web site.

Kudos to the creators.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks and please keep reposting it.

[InvisibleChurch]

i'm sure that kerry's anti-terror plan is similar to a plan used in Ghostbusters : "Get 'em!"

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Kerry said, "I didn't have a clue."

Nothing new here, move on.

[Happy2BMe]

I agree completely, Grampa Dave. This clip needs to be SPREAD FAR AND WIDE - WIDE AND FAR. Everyone should see it, and especially those wanting to convince their Democratic friends of who John Kerry really is and what he really stands for (COMMUNISM!).

I got the thread from MeekOneGop, who got it from someone else. We should do the same. This is a grassroots effort to keep the likes of John Kerry far, far away from control ANY FORM OF GOVERNMENT at the national level. Massachusetts loves him, but the rest of the country MUST KNOW what this despicable traitor is all about and how he got to the position he is in now through massaging the system all the way up to being a US Senator (and now candidate for President).

I'm pinging my lists - gladly!

______________________________

The John Kerry The DNC Doesn't Want You To Know About (click)

[MeekOneGOP]

Kerry Anti-Terror Plan Removed From
Campaign Web Site After Berger Revelation

Excerpt:

Instead of reviewing documents for the 9/11 Commission investigation, Republicans suggested that Berger used the information from the National Archives to help the Kerry campaign.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said, "Reportedly these documents related to homeland security and then suddenly we see that the Kerry campaign came forward with what may have been illegal documents. This is sensitive stuff and was a significant breach of security."

"Kerry knows better than to use these documents," Chambliss added.

Berger admitted to removing documents from the National Archives on five separate occasions, but maintains that it was "inadvertent."

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) believes otherwise, saying, "There is a curious connection between the removal of these documents and the Kerry press conference on port security. It's disappointing what people might do as they try to take the president down."

< snip >

While political reactions to the Berger affair are predictably mixed, there is no doubt that the former national security advisor broke the law. The documents he removed carry the highest classifications for secrecy: code word clearance.

Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) called Berger's actions "just a third-rate burglary."

But former FBI agent G. Gordon Liddy disagrees, calling it a grave transgression against national security. Liddy wonders why the Justice Department has not arrested Berger for having admitted to committing five felonies.

Liddy pointed out that Berger is the second Clinton official to face prosecution for withdrawing classified materials from secure premises. Former CIA director John Deutsch was pardoned by President Clinton in the final hours of his second term and spared from suffering any punishment for having taken laptops with classified materials to his home in 1996.

Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) questioned Berger's motivation for the thefts.

He said, "What in heaven's name was he thinking? What is so important that he would risk both his reputation and prosecution to remove these documents? What's there to hide?"

He added, "There is no one with his experience who can claim that these are the actions of an absent-minded employee. Sandy Berger knows better."

Foley recalled the final days of the Clinton administration when he said, "And we thought it was bad when they were only stealing furniture."

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[Grampa Dave]

[MeekOneGOP]

Berger quits Kerry team amid probe
Clinton national security chief is under
investigation by FBI in mishandling of 9/11 records

[MeekOneGOP]

haha ! You beat me posting that by 1.5 minutes !

[Smartass]

[MeekOneGOP]

bump !

[Grampa Dave]

See what happens when you loan your material to an old Grampa.