I thought Berger was a bumbling idiot then (which is why he was bubba's choice) and my opinion has not changed. The same with Bill Richardson. Now they are presented as "experts" by the media.
As for Richardson, how hard was his job? Even then it was half-assed. Anyone knows if you are going to beg with a tin cup, you should put on a pair of sunglasses.
MORE EVIDENCE OF CLINTON'S FAILURE: Fascinating report in the left-wing British paper, the Observer, about the extent of the Clinton administration's responsibility for hobbling our intelligence operations in the last ten years. Vast files of intelligence from Sudan, specifically about Osama bin Laden, were simply ignored or spurned by Clinton officials. According to the Observer, "One senior CIA source admitted last night: 'This represents the worst single intelligence failure in this whole terrible business. It is the key to the whole thing right now. It is reasonable to say that had we had this data we may have had a better chance of preventing the attacks.' He said the blame for the failure lay in the 'irrational hatred' the Clinton administration felt for the source of the proffered intelligence - Sudan, where bin Laden and his leading followers were based from 1992-96. He added that after a slow thaw in relations which began last year, it was only now that the Sudanese information was being properly examined for the first time." Quick, Sandy. Better leak something to the New York Times to spin this one away.
That is exactly my take on the Washington Post article. Mostly CYA with some facts thrown in.