A re-reading of Farah's first paragraph indicates he's being a bit disingenuous here. (I noted his omission of the cooperation agreement) with this:
When Sandy Berger, the former national security adviser to the president of the United States, was caught red-handed stealing highly classified documents from the National Archives more than a year ago, he was permitted to go free. He was allowed to go out and give speeches. He was even permitted to serve as a national security adviser to a presidential candidate and was talked about as a possible secretary of state for John Kerry, should he have been elected to the White House.
~snip~
The fact is that after it became known that Berger had taken these documents the Kerry campaign claimed Berger served as nothing more than an informal advisor (a lie which freepers soon exposed) but nonetheless they cut him loose so he did not continue in that role, informal or formal.
I was not happy that he was globetrotting and giving speeches and opinions, either, and on that I agree with Farah.
Farahs article was incorrect on several points. I guess what we need to know is that since it is a "plea bargain", what is he giving up and or who? I guess we have to hang in a bit more.
But one thing I feel pretty certain about, and that is if there is no public pressure brought to bear, this matter will certainly fade away.
Sandy is utilizing a classic Klintoon tool: always have your bombshells overshadowed by other more sensationalistic news. I don't know how they do it, but they have perfected this to an art form.
Berger's Firm to Aid Oil Interests in Iraq By Judy Sarasohn Washington Post Thursday, September 16, 2004; Page A29
Stonebridge International, the "global strategy firm" founded by Berger, has taken on an interesting client, Gulfsands Petroleum Ltd., a private Houston-based oil and gas company. Gulfsands, along with its larger partner Devon Energy Corp. of Oklahoma City, has oil and gas exploration and development interests in Syria. And now Gulfsands is looking to Iraq.
"Stonebridge is assisting Gulfsands in organizing meetings in Washington with administration officials to discuss the company's business interests in Iraq and U.S. policy toward Syria," Stonebridge Vice Chairman H.P. Goldfield said in an e-mail response to written questions.