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Bill Clinton authorized Sandy Berger's access
WorldNetDaily ^ | January 4, 2007 | By Chelsea Schilling

Posted on 01/03/2007 11:48:07 PM PST by 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."


TOPICS: Breaking News; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 20020412; 200309; 20030902; 20031002; 20031010; 217; abledanger; alqaeda; alqaida; berger; billclinton; billclintontantrum; clinton; clintonlegacy; corruption; coverup; crime; crook; documents; email; enemywithin; fifthcolumn; gorelick; gorelickwall; maar; millenniumplot; missingemail; nara; nationalsecurity; nsc; nscmaar; sandyberger; sandybergler; sandybuglar; sandyburglar; socks; thief; watergatex4
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To: Donna Lee Nardo

Why would they redact, though? Maybe it was Clinton's lawyer. Probably did not want the embarrassment of letting it be known he hired a lawyer to look over those documents for his defense.


81 posted on 01/04/2007 4:28:52 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: Howlin

"The question is what was so damning Berger was willing to take one for the team."


We'll never know. Clinton's *Jack Ruby* will never talk.


82 posted on 01/04/2007 4:30:32 AM PST by wolfcreek (Please Lord, May I be, one who sees what's in front of me.)
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To: READINABLUESTATE

self ping


83 posted on 01/04/2007 4:37:54 AM PST by READINABLUESTATE (Free speech for thee, but not for me?)
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To: Jim Robinson

The lying Dems taking office today are gearing up for investigations of Pres. Bush, but they certainly will not be interested in investigating why Billy Jeff sent Sandy Burglar to steal incriminating documents from the National Archives, documents that show he was too busy diddling Monica to protect our country from a terror attack that he knew was coming.


84 posted on 01/04/2007 4:52:45 AM PST by kittymyrib
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To: Jim Robinson

See, Clinton/Berger just found an easy way around the whole "executive privilege" issue, he simply took the documents and destroyed them. That way Clinton could look like he was cooperating fully with the commission, while all the damaging information was still withheld by means of Berger's Shredder.

Remember how the media played up Fawn Hall taking documents out of Oliver North's office in her clothing so she could shred them?

Of course, she was a lot nicer looking than Berger.


85 posted on 01/04/2007 4:53:27 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
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To: Jim Robinson

Well we now know who the "white boys" are, who are the "colored boys"? The NAACP calls them "colored" so that is good enough for me. But if you are easily offended, who are the "black boys" on the Clinton team?


86 posted on 01/04/2007 4:53:44 AM PST by Lewite (Praise YAHWEH and Proclaim His Wonderful Name! Islam, the end time Beast-the harlot of Babylon.)
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To: Mo1

WHY IS THE NAME OF THE OTHER PERSON REDACTED???


87 posted on 01/04/2007 4:58:09 AM PST by OldFriend (THE PRESS IS AN EVIL FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REMEDY)
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To: Lancey Howard

Another reason I regret that I voted for Bush!

Wish we had had a real Republican to run instead of him.


88 posted on 01/04/2007 4:58:35 AM PST by stockpirate (John Kerry & FBI files ==> http://www.freerepublic.com/~stockpirate/)
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To: Howlin

Do you think Gore-lick was the other person authorized to 'get' the files?


89 posted on 01/04/2007 4:59:33 AM PST by OldFriend (THE PRESS IS AN EVIL FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REMEDY)
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To: onyx

Ickes is a cockroach who stays in the shadows. Not likely he would come out in the light of day.


90 posted on 01/04/2007 5:00:21 AM PST by OldFriend (THE PRESS IS AN EVIL FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REMEDY)
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To: Jim Robinson
Berger should be in federal prison and clinton should have been investigated. Yet the clintonista common criminals are given a free pass.
91 posted on 01/04/2007 5:02:10 AM PST by tioga
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To: Jim Robinson
It's a true testament to Clintoon's gift of the gab that he could suggest to Berger that he destroy any classified documents in the library that might incriminate him without saying anything directly that could be used later in a court of law to implicate him in the act - probably leaving Berger with the impression that it was all his own idea.
He's a walking example of the line by George Castanza in one of the old Seinfeld episodes when Jerry is worried about taking a polygraph test, "Just remember Jerry. It is not a lie if you believe it." (who can forget, "it all depends on what the definition of the word "is", is.")
92 posted on 01/04/2007 5:02:20 AM PST by finnigan2
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To: endthematrix
"Berger said he put in over 100 unpaid hours of his time to be responsive. "

Hey, he's not in jail. I'd say he was paid.

93 posted on 01/04/2007 5:05:51 AM PST by rhombus
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To: piasa
Klinton, like Karter before him, buried America haters in every institution. CIA, FBI, Justice, State.......you can be sure they are still funneling FBI files, state secrets, and assorted leaks to the NYSlimes and our enemies around the world.

Negraponte going to State is a VERY VERY good thing, IMO.

94 posted on 01/04/2007 5:06:37 AM PST by OldFriend (THE PRESS IS AN EVIL FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REMEDY)
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To: moonman
President Bush moved forward for the same reason President Ford pardoned Richard Nixon.

This country is at war and it's hard enough to focus on national security, the economy, and our faithful allies without expending energy on what happened before.

Just my opinion.

95 posted on 01/04/2007 5:09:58 AM PST by OldFriend (THE PRESS IS AN EVIL FOR WHICH THERE IS NO REMEDY)
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To: woofie

Clinton's administration was full of slick lawyers just like himself. He approached the presidency with the attitude of "what can I get away with today." It is now being exposed as perhaps the most irresponsible, wreckless presidency in our history.


96 posted on 01/04/2007 5:10:24 AM PST by Galtoid ( .)
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To: Jim Robinson

This guy should be in prison for the rest of his life. We lost a President over Watergate and they don't even lose an advisor over espionage?


97 posted on 01/04/2007 5:13:32 AM PST by kerryusama04 (Isa 8:20, Eze 22:26)
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To: Jim Robinson
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

Yeah...like a new take on how to pick up women except instead of using a rolled up sock in the crotch...you use Codeword documents!

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

When *I* have private documents for *MY* company, where else would I put them but under a trailer at a construction site? Its not like he has a super secure facility at his disposal or anything...you know...like the National Archi...oh..wait...he DID have that. My bad!

Seriously, this guy should be in JAIL.

98 posted on 01/04/2007 5:15:32 AM PST by Personal Responsibility (Amnesia is a train of thought.)
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To: Jim Robinson

Let's spell it out for the MSM.
S-m-o-k-i-n-g g-u-n.


99 posted on 01/04/2007 5:18:14 AM PST by RGSpincich
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To: Jim Robinson
Iraq hangs theirs for evil deeds.....
We give ours a news article.
100 posted on 01/04/2007 5:18:24 AM PST by From One - Many (Trust the Old Media At Your Own Risk)
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