Posted on 12/20/2006 2:12:49 PM PST by Mr. Mojo
Former national security adviser Sandy Berger removed classified documents from the National Archives in 2003 and hid them under a construction trailer, the Archives inspector general reported Wednesday. The report was issued more than a year after Berger pleaded guilty and received a criminal sentence for removal of the documents.
Inspector General Paul Brachfeld reported that when Berger was confronted by Archives officials about the missing documents, he said it was possible he threw them in his office trash.
The report said that when Archives employees first suspected that Berger _ who had been President Clinton's national security adviser _ was removing classified documents from the Archives in the fall of they failed to notify any law enforcement agency.
Berger, who pleaded guilty to unlawfully removing and retaining classified documents, was fined $50,000, ordered to perform 100 hours of community service and was barred from access to classified material for three years.
The report said that when Berger was reviewing the classified documents in the Archives building a few blocks from the Capitol, employees saw him bending down and fiddling with something white, which could have been paper, around his ankle.
However, Archives employees did not feel at the time there was enough information to confront someone of Berger's stature, the report said.
Brachfeld reported that on one visit, Berger took a break to go outside without an escort.
"In total, during this visit, he removed four documents ... .
"Mr. Berger said he placed the documents under a trailer in an accessible construction area outside Archives 1 (the main Archives building)."
Berger acknowledged that he later retrieved the documents from the construction area and returned with them to his office.
Berger, with the authorization of former President Clinton, was reviewing National Security Council documents on Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida, Sudan, and related presidential correspondence. The review was to facilitate Berger's impending testimony before the House and Senate intelligence committees.
he sure acted like he feared for his life.
Thats the first thing I thought too. He actually could regain access to classified material in 3 years. why??
What was the criminal sentence?
yes, the after action report for the millenium bombings.
Do not post full text from the Washington Post or any other site where we've been requested not to post full articles.
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Observe it.
the permanent beauracracy at State and CIA - run this part of the government. the political parties provide cover for them.
The only way this would get news coverage would be if a Republican was IMing young boys.
And to assure he wouldn't be contradicted by the truth, eh?
what exactly was he trying to hide. Could it be that Clinton was invovled in the Iraq oil/for money (oops I mean food)scandal. Could there be actually info on WMD. If I did the same thing I would be in jail and fired.
That's not true at all!
There was Vince Foster, then there was that guy that died in the plane crash, then there was another guy that died...
"One hand washing the other. Bush and Clinton."
It all comes together at the top.
We're doomed.
Unfortunately the press will hide this on page A435 if it even gets ink.
He's going to be her Sec of State.
Giv'em' the Gen. Nguyen Ngok Loan cure !! That Works !!
Sandy Burglar
My apologies. Since they were WP articles from the late 1990s (therefore archival) I did not think the same rule applied. I obviously did not think enough.
I agree. We overlook the obvious sometimes.
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