Bill Clinton authorized Sandy Berger's access

WorldNetDaily ^ | January 4, 2007 | By Chelsea Schilling

[Jim Robinson]

Investigation into pilfered documents reveals former president signed letter

President Bill Clinton signed a letter authorizing former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger's access to classified documents that later came up missing, according to a newly released investigation report by the National Archives and Records Administration.

The sensitive drafts of the National Security Council's "Millennium After Action Review" on the Clinton administration's handling of the al-Qaida terror threats in December 1999 suspiciously disappeared after Berger said he intended to "determine if Executive Privilege needed to be exerted prior to documents being provided to the 9/11 Commission." Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft testified before the 9-11 commission about the millennium report, urging the panel to ask why the document's warnings and "blueprint" to thwart al-Qaida's plans to target the U.S. were ignored by the Clinton administration and not shared with the incoming Bush security staff.

The NARA investigation report said Clinton signed an April 12, 2002, letter designating Berger – and another person whose named is redacted – as "agents on his behalf to review relevant NSC documents regarding Osama Bin Laden/Al Qaeda, Sudan and Presidential correspondence from or to (Sudanese President) Omar Bashir, contained in the Clinton Presidential records." A subsequent letter from a National Security Council official, May 14, 2002, said Berger repeatedly was briefed that "he was not allowed to remove any documentation from NARA."

Last year, Berger plea bargained a criminal sentence on the charge of unlawfully removing and retaining classified documents. A judge gave him no prison time, a $50,000 fine, 100 hours of community service and a ban from access to classified material for three years

According to the NARA report, after the 9-11 attacks, Clinton administration officials were swamped with calls regarding their handling of terrorist threats, and Berger soon realized he would have to testify. Berger said he put in over 100 unpaid hours of his time to be responsive.

The former White House adviser said the documents up for review were so numerous that he was unable to reconstruct them from memory, so he took 10-to-12 pages of notes and hid them in the pocket of his blazer.

The investigation report says, however, the May 14, 2002, letter stated "notes may be taken but must be retained by NARA staff and forwarded to the NSC for a classification review and appropriate marking. Berger, the letter said, "was made aware of this requirement."

In July 2003, Berger's handling of the papers began to "cause archival concerns in maintaining provenance" after he asked to leave the viewing office several times to hold very private phone calls. Later, in September, Berger once again stepped out of the office and headed for the men's room, but personnel reported an unknown white object beneath his pant leg.

A witness said Berger "bent down, fiddling with something white, which could have been papers, around his ankle."

After Berger's actions aroused suspicion in September 2003, an unnamed archives official hand-numbered drafts provided to Berger as a means of controlling the documents without consulting with NARA general counsel, security, management, the Office of the Inspector General or law enforcement.

In October, Berger returned to the archives office and was given one file folder of documents at a time. The NARA report indicates an e-mail numbered 217 came up missing after he reviewed it. Berger later said he slid the document under his portfolio.

When personnel noticed it was missing, they offered a copy of document 217 to Berger, and he reportedly slid the second file under his portfolio as well. Later, Berger said if he had been asked to return the file "it would have triggered a decision for him to give the documents back."

Instead, Berger said he had to make a private phone call and went to a desk outside the office. However, the phone line remained unlit, and he quickly departed to the restroom, a location from which he was reported to have recently returned.

Berger made numerous suspicious visits to the men's room in which personnel were concerned he might be hiding documents. He said he "went to the restroom on an average of every 30 minutes to one hour to use the facilities and stretch his legs."

According to the NARA report, Berger claimed he accidentally took the files outside of the archives building and didn't want to risk bringing documents back because personnel might notice something unusual. Instead, he took the files to a fenced construction area on Ninth Street, slid them under a trailer and returned to the office to finish his review. After doing so, he returned to the site, reclaimed the documents and took them to his office.

During the visit, Berger is reported to have hidden four documents in his pockets, all versions of the Millennium Alert After Action Review.

Archives officials decided to call Berger and ask him for the documents. He said he didn't think he had any files. They advised him NARA was treating the matter as a security infraction and was going to report the incident to the National Security Council. If Berger admitted to taking the documents by mistake, the incident would be reported as inadvertent removal. But, he maintained that staff members were in error, and he had given the files back to an assistant.

Later that evening, Berger claimed to have found two documents, and NARA made arrangements to pick up the files the following morning. However, NARA reports the documents were an e-mail and a facsimile Berger reviewed Sept. 2, 2003, not classified files viewed Oct. 2, 2003.

Berger said he could not find any additional documents and claimed he must have thrown them away. According to the NARA report, "He had destroyed, cut into small pieces, three of the four documents. These were put in the trash. By Saturday, the trash had been picked up. He tried to find the trash collector but had no luck."

The inspector general was briefed on the incidents Oct. 10. That day, OI investigators recovered documents from Berger's home at the request of his attorney. Six months later, the Department of Justice notified the 9/11 commission.

Berger said if someone had always been with him, he would not have taken any documents.

Despite his April 1, 2005, guilty plea for Unauthorized Removal and Retention of Classified Material, Berger still vehemently denies smuggling any documents in his socks. According to the report, he said he was adjusting them "because his shoes frequently come untied and his socks frequently fall down."

[T. P. Pole]

This is what jumped out at me:

After Berger's actions aroused suspicion in September 2003, an unnamed archives official hand-numbered drafts provided to Berger as a means of controlling the documents without consulting with NARA general counsel, security, management, the Office of the Inspector General or law enforcement.

In October, Berger returned to the archives office and was given one file folder of documents at a time. The NARA report indicates an e-mail numbered 217 came up missing after he reviewed it. Berger later said he slid the document under his portfolio.

When personnel noticed it was missing, they offered a copy of document 217 to Berger, and he reportedly slid the second file under his portfolio as well. Later, Berger said if he had been asked to return the file "it would have triggered a decision for him to give the documents back."

Somebody knows exactly what he took (at least on one of the visits) and confirmed it by feeding him a copy, which he also took. I suspect that they still have copies of this document 217.

Wonder what it says?

[bannie]

A sneak thief of the lowest order.

[Guenevere]

You clarify so well!...Thanks!

[#1CTYankee]

"Bill Clinton authorized Sandy Berger's access.

Why does this not surprise me?
Just think if Hillery gets elected, Bill back in the White house, our worst nightmare come true.

[Lancey Howard]

Yes, the director resigned (or was actually "fired" via being asked for his resignation - - that's the weasel way things are done in Dirty City).

[jazusamo]

Disgusting! And to think that team Billy and Hilly could possibly inhabit the White House again, chilling!

[Peanut Gallery]

ping

[sam_paine]

Nobody with honest intent hides documents like a shoplifter.

I think the 'hiding' of the docs under the trailer may have been a botched 'doc-drop' leak to the press.

He sifted through the revisions of the doc that put Clintoon in the best light, and then left them there for someone else to pick up.

If he already had them in his pants and was taking them, why not just go ahead and keep walking to your car and do the hand-off in person? Because he wanted the leak to be anonymous. And he was a dumbass. Can't believe these idiots ran our country and we're still in business.

In fact, I'm sure Bin Laden must marvel at it as well.

[HarleyLady27]

Clinton, Former President at this time, can authorize someone to steal??????

I want to see where this is written in our Constitution....our Bill of Rights, or any other document that we run our Government by.....

[sam_paine]

Clinton was not president in 2002. Why did they have to grant him access?

Draft docs like that are controlled by the administration that created them for 12 years. I think the currrent admin can, of course, see them. But they cannot be released to others without Clinton's approval. In fact, I think this is one useful function Prez Libraries actually perform. As these docs are declassified by the current admin, they go to the previous admin for 2nd review before release (or hide).

[secret garden]

I think you nailed it.

[Teacher317]

Our masters in Washington will never punish each other, because they know that someday, it could be themselves or their friends that are in the same situation. Far better to change the rules for the public to think that they're "doing something", and to give high-office offenders a slap on the wrist. The appearance of equality is far more important to them than the actual practice.

[dashing doofus]

When Henry Kissinger was eulogizing President Ford recently, he spoke of Ford as a plain, honest man who had core beliefs and was unconcerned with his legacy.

I immediately thought this was a veiled shot at Slick Willie, who directs his minions to manufacture a phony legacy via hook and crook.

[tubebender]

Makes me wonder if Clinton deliberately withheld these AQ threats from the Bush administration and there was correspondence or margin notes to show that...

[jrooney]

Do you blame Bush everytime someone commits a crime and does not get the sentence you believe they should? I for one think Berger got off lightly, but blaming GW is absolutely moronic. Just like in the Plame affair when Armitage was the leaker of Plame and he told Powell and NEITHER told GW or Gonzalez, his head at DOJ, how are they supposed to know everything that is going on in every case? They can't when things are withheld from them. It is believed that Comey, whom appointed Fitzgerald in the Plame/Libby case, may have been the one that handled the plea of Berger. Comey is a democrat and was not always truthful and open with Gonzalez. Comey is also the one that gave Fitzgerlad illegal wide reaching powers that are not allowed by all.

GW could not purge the DOJ of democrats when he took office because he did not have the legal authority to do so. No wonder the democrats were able to sweep into power when many people are quick to blame GW for everything. Pretty damn pathetic.

[reg45]

Does that make him (WJBC) a co-conspirator???

[khnyny]

bump for later read!

[rightinthemiddle]

MSM: Move along. Nothing to see here.

[griswold3]

good post

[Miss Marple]

Excellent post. I did not know about Comey, which explains a LOT.