Posted on 12/02/2015 6:51:53 AM PST by TroutStalker
Former National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, who served under President Bill Clinton, has died at the age of 70.
"V sad start to day; just learned Sandy Berger passed away during the night," Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, tweeted Wednesday morning. "Good man & friend who served nation well as bill clinton's NSA."
Antony Blinken, the current deputy secretary of state and a Berger acolyte, tweeted, "Mourn the passing of Sandy Berger --- father, husband, mentor, friend, leader and great patriot. RIP SRB."
Berger, a longtime lawyer who founded Stonebridge International, a Washington-based advisory group, after leaving government, had just been awarded World Food Program USA's inaugural Global Humanitarian Award on Tuesday.
“We are honoring one of America’s most devoted and influential humanitarian champions,†Rick Leach, the group's president and CEO, said in a statement. “On behalf of WFP USA, Sandy has been our principal voice in advocating that the U.S. and the world respond effectively to the greatest humanitarian challenge of our generation.â€
Berger served as Clinton's top foreign policy adviser during the 1992 campaign before serving as deputy national security adviser and eventually national security adviser shortly after Clinton began his second term, in March 1997.
As the president's chief foreign policy aide, Berger oversaw the Clinton administration's push to expand free trade in Africa and Asia, as well as its response to the al Qaeda bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa, the NATO-led bombing of Kosovo, and the efforts to forge a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. 20151201_mitch_mcconnell_2_GTY_1160.jpg
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Following his time in the Clinton administration, Berger remained an active player in Washington's foreign-policy debates, informally advising Democratic politicians, including Hillary Clinton, and publishing articles about various international issues. As secretary of state, Clinton consulted Berger on topics from how to handle Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to how to "gain leverage over the Pakistanis" and persuade them to go after al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, her emails show.
In an op-ed for POLITICO Magazine in August, Berger warned Congress against rejecting President Obama's nuclear deal with Iran, writing that doing so would allow "Iran to move further toward a nuclear weapon, presenting the United States and Israel with terrible choices."
Berger's legacy was marred, however, when he pleaded guilty in 2005 to removing highly classified documents from the National Archives in Washington the previous year. The inspector general of the National Archives said that a staff member had witnessed the former NSA adviser wrapping the classified documents around his socks and under his pants.
He was fined $50,000, sentenced to two years' probation and stripped of his security clearance for three years. Following a Justice Department investigation and subsequent congressional hearings, Berger voluntarily gave up his license to practice law in 2007.
"While I derived great satisfaction from years of practicing law, I have not done so for 15 years and do not envision returning to the profession," Berger said, according to a contemporaneous Associated Press report, "I am very sorry for what I did, and deeply apologize."
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/sandy-berger-national-security-adviser-216344#ixzz3tAw7qbhL
Anybody know what was in those classified documents that this guy tried to steal?
Anybody know what was in those classified documents that this guy tried to steal?
He “did” steal,not try.
No,ask the Clinton’s
Yes, it did.
‘bout time. Probably got cross with cankles.
I’ll never understand why the border patrol guys were persecuted the way they were over some minor admin stuff.
He is definitely not going to Heaven.
YAY CICERO!
POST OF THE DAY...
After such a lousy day YOU MADE MY DAY!
THANK YOU!
Ft. Marcy Park?
Here is as decent a link to the backstory as you are likely to find but you will find out lots more information here in the archives of FR. http://www.nysun.com/national/how-an-ex-aide-to-president-clinton-stashed/45551/ The key passage in this says “All five documents Mr. Berger removed were versions of an after-action report about the foiled millennium plot to bomb the Los Angeles International Airport and other sites. The internal review, by a top counterterrorism official, Richard Clarke, reportedly found that luck was the major factor in disrupting the plot and that more attacks were likely.
Here is how I would summarize this sordid affair. It was during the 9/11 Commission hearings and questions were coming up as to what all went down during the Clinton administration and what they should have seen coming that would have clearly indicated that 9/11 was in the making. Apparently, the documents that Berger stole were all earlier drafts of the final document of the after-action report involving the plot to bomb the LA Airport (or was it the Space Needle tower in Seattle?) and the reason these drafts were so important to Clinton (and possibly others in his administration) was because the drafts had handwritten notes in the margin and showed who changed what wording as they worked their way to the final document form. By going back through the drafts, it could be figured out who downplayed what information, who ignored what, who misinterpreted what and who essentially made what decisions. Clearly, Clinton never wanted these documents to ever see the light of day and so Berger was dispatched to steal them.
It was quite clear that Clinton was behind it all. I saw an interview of Clinton about this time where he was asked about Berger and he had the gall to say something to the effect of "Yeah, I heard about what Sandy did. All of us who knew Sandy were laughing when we heard that he mixed these documents up with some of his own papers. It was so typical and none of us were surprised. You should have seen the mess that he kept his desk in at the White House." So there you have it.
When it comes to having my own theory, conspiratorial or not, I say Thanks, dont mind if I do..
Amen.
The real conspiracy theorists invented the propaganda that is being used to manipulate the masses. Most had roots in the Soviet Union and the Communists. Today they call themselves the MSM. Edward Bernays invented the concept. Global society has paid for it ever since. It represents what happens when millions of naive people are being led to the cliff by a few who benefit.
Either be very cynical of it all and challenge the motives of all politicians, or pay the ultimate price and face destruction of the USA and our societal stability.
Amen...
Finally some good news today, esp. about anyone connected to the Clinton crooks and traitors.
What did he really die of, I ask facetiously? The Vince Foster Flu? The Benghazi Bug? The National Archives document recovery hit squad? (Actually the documents recovery team is a vey professional group of people who protect our national documents. Among the best in government that I know of).
If you ever wanted to see how the “fix” was “in” for Clinton personnel, it was the minimal sentence that Sandy Burgler got. He should have been sentenced to at least 5 years in the federal pen for the thief of govt documents, plus another 5-10 for the destruction of govt classified documents, plus more time for perjury, etc.
The Dems of today are the most corrupt politicians in American history, and if there were true justice, we would need to build 100 new prisons just to hold the Clinton/Obama crooks, commies, crazies, and cronies.
Growing up, my beloved parents told me if I can’t say anything nice about someone, then don’t say anything at all. ‘nuff said.
It wasn’t during Clinton’s impeachment trial... unless he did it twice. It was during the 9/11 commission hearings.
One less witness. Comey was investigating Berger too before taking the hillary email job.
It’s a club and most Americans aren’t in it. Our inability to hold elites truly accountable for crimes and corruption has become a serious character flaw of leadership. Neither Party is immune. It seems they see themselves as being made vulnerable when any one of them face the music. They need to believe it makes our country better.
Berger is gone? Not Hamilton Berger? What in hell is Perry Mason going to do?
Hey “Socks”, don’t forget to pack an air-conditioner for your trip!
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