Clinton & Kerry's Advisor in Cover Up

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Clinton & Kerry's Advisor in Cover Up
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Mon, 07-19-2004 - 11:39pm

Sandy Berger, Clinton Sec Advisor & Kerry Campaign Advisor Under Investigation


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040720/D83U6TIO0.html


WASHINGTON (AP) - President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, is the focus of a Justice Department investigation after removing highly classified terrorism documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during preparations for the Sept. 11 commission hearings, The Associated Press has learned.

Berger's home and office were searched earlier this year by FBI agents armed with warrants after he voluntarily returned documents to the National Archives. However, still missing are some drafts of a sensitive after-action report on the Clinton administration's handling of al-Qaida terror threats during the December 1999 millennium celebration.

Berger and his lawyer said Monday night he knowingly removed handwritten notes he had made while reading classified anti-terror documents at the archives by sticking them in his jacket and pants. He also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio, they said.

"I deeply regret the sloppiness involved, but I had no intention of withholding documents from the commission, and to the contrary, to my knowledge, every document requested by the commission from the Clinton administration was produced," Berger said in a statement to the AP.

Lanny Breuer, one of Berger's attorneys, said his client has offered to cooperate fully with the investigation but had not yet been interviewed by the FBI or prosecutors. Berger has been told he is the subject of the criminal investigation, Breuer said.

Berger served as Clinton's national security adviser for all of the president's second term and most recently has been informally advising Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry. Clinton asked Berger last year to review and select the administration documents that would be turned over to the commission.

The FBI searches of Berger's home and office occurred after National Archives employees told agents they believed they saw Berger place documents in his clothing while reading sensitive Clinton administration papers and that some documents were then noticed missing, officials said.

When asked, Berger said he returned some classified documents that he found in his office and all of the handwritten notes he had taken from the secure room, but could not locate two or three copies of the highly classified millennium terror report.

"In the course of reviewing over several days thousands of pages of documents on behalf of the Clinton administration in connection with requests by the Sept. 11 commission, I inadvertently took a few documents from the Archives," Berger said.

"When I was informed by the Archives that there were documents missing, I immediately returned everything I had except for a few documents that I apparently had accidentally discarded," he said.

Breuer said Berger believed he was looking at copies of the classified documents, not originals.

Berger was allowed to take handwritten notes but also knew that taking his own notes out of the secure reading room was a "technical violation of Archive procedures, but it is not all clear to us this represents a violation of the law," Breuer said.

Government and congressional officials familiar with the investigation, who spoke only on condition of anonymity because the probe involves classified materials, said the investigation remains active and no decision has been made on whether Berger should face criminal charges.

The officials said the missing documents were highly classified, and included critical assessments about the Clinton administration's handling of the millennium terror threats as well as identification of America's terror vulnerabilities at airports to sea ports.

Berger testified at one of the commission's public hearings about the Clinton administration's approach to fighting terrorism. The former president answered the panel's questions at a private meeting.

The former national security adviser himself had ordered his anti-terror czar Richard Clarke in early 2000 to write the after-action report and has spoken publicly about how the review brought to the forefront the realization that al-Qaida had reached America's shores and required more attention.

Berger testified that during the millennium period, "we thwarted threats and I do believe it was important to bring the principals together on a frequent basis" to consider terror threats more regularly.

The missing documents involve two or three draft versions of the report as it was evolving and being refined by the Clinton administration, officials and lawyers say. The Archives is believed to have copies of some of the missing documents.

In the FBI search of his office, Berger also was found in possession of a small number of classified note cards containing his handwritten notes from the Middle East peace talks during the 1990s, but those are not a focus of the current criminal probe, officials and lawyers said.

Breuer said the Archives staff first raised concerns with Berger during an Oct. 2 review of documents that at least one copy of the post-millennium report he had reviewed earlier was missing. Berger was given a second copy that day, Breuer said.

Officials familiar with the investigation said Archives staff specially marked the documents and when the new copy and others disappeared, Archives officials called Clinton attorney Bruce Lindsey to report the disappearance.

Berger immediately returned all the notes he had taken, and conducted a search and located two copies of the classified documents on a messy desk in his office, Breuer said. An Archives official came to Berger's home to collect those documents but Berger couldn't locate the other missing copies, the lawyer said.

He retained counsel, and in January the FBI executed search warrants of a safe at Berger's home as well as his business office where he found some of the documents. Agents also failed to locate the missing documents.

Justice Department officials have told the Sept. 11 commission of the Berger incident and the nature of the documents in case commissioners wanted more information, officials said. The commission is expected to release its final report Thursday.

Congressional intelligence committees, however, have not been formally notified.

"The House Intelligence Committee has not been informed on the loss or theft of any classified intelligence information from the Archives, but we will follow up and get the information that is appropriate for the committee to have," the committee said Monday in a statement. "And if it has occurred, we should be informed. If there has been delay in getting the information to the committee we need to know why."

Berger is the second high-level Clinton-era official to face controversy over taking classified information home.

Former CIA Director John Deutch was pardoned by Clinton just hours before Clinton left office in 2001 for taking home classified information and keeping it on unsecured computers at his home during his time at the CIA and Pentagon. Deutch was about to enter into a plea agreement for a misdemeanor charge of mishandling government secrets when the pardon was granted.



Renee ~~~




Edited 7/20/2004 12:22 am ET ET by cl-wrhen

Renee ~~~

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-17-2004
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 12:37am

Oh, dear! It appears that the Dems aren't one big happy family afterall!

Renee ~~~

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 12:47am
<> Because he didn't want to go through having them checked by some peon at the archives I suppose. Yes, it's wrong. But who suffers due to his stupidity and misbehavior? Pretty much just Sandy Berger. And John Kerry, who has to suffer the ridiculous charges that he needs someone to funnel him classified documents from five years ago in order for him to know we're vulnerable on port security. I think any idiot knows we're vulnerable on port security, but apparently Republican congressmen seem to think that rather obvious info is For Your Eyes Only.

Of course I'll admit it's a "tad malodorous" but I still think he's just guilty of sneaking his notes out unchecked (he's allowed to take them, but someone's supposed to read them all first) and that the missing documents were a mistake. Why would he take them on purpose, especially after people at the archive already ponted out that things were missing from his previous visit?

I also think it's stinky that this story occured nine months ago and somehow made it's way to page one this week. I know that doesn't excuse Berger, but Fox's report seems to imply that he's on the loose with sensitive terrorism documents, which is patently ridiculous. This whole thing is an embarrassing mistake for the Democrats and the Republicans are making the most of it - aided by the conservative press, and the real bias in the press...sensationalism... to make hay in an election year.

And so I'll ask you...if Berger was indeed sneaking classified documents out of the National Archives, what was his motive and purpose? Summon up your inner Michael Moore and spin me the conspiracy theory, because short of some new fantabulous yarn, I'm sticking with the age old motives of pride and stupidity.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 12:57am
<>

Again...from what I've read...and that could change tomorrow...he didn't stuff documents into his pants. He concealed his notes, which he's free to take, if they're checked by someone first. Maybe he didn't want to wait around the two hours it takes for someone to read his notes. Who knows.

I also have to object to this characterization of him stuffing things in his pants. If I put my notes in my pocket, am I stuffing them in my pants? Am I concealing loose change in my clothing, or do I have 35 cents in my pocket?

Ah ha. Here's the statement I've been looking for:

"Republicans accused him on Tuesday of stashing the material in his clothing, but Mr. Breuer called that accusation "ridiculous" and politically inspired. He said the documents' removal was accidental."

"Mr. Berger also put in his jacket and pants pockets handwritten notes that he had made during his review of the documents, Mr. Breuer said. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/21/politics/campaign/21berger.html?pagewanted=2&hp

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 1:16am
What you posted is not "straight from the horse's mouth." You see...then it would have quotes around it, and be followed by something like "...Berger said monday night." The original AP report which broke this story doesn't mention anything about socks when they report the exact same statement which Fox does:

'Berger and his lawyer said Monday night he knowingly removed handwritten notes he had taken from classified anti-terror documents he reviewed at the National Archives by sticking them in his jacket and pants. He also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio, they said.' http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1174448/posts

Nether does MSNBC:

"Berger and Breuer said Monday night that Berger knowingly removed the handwritten notes by placing them in his jacket and pants and that he also inadvertently took copies of actual classified documents in a leather portfolio."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5463586/

Neither does WAPO:

"Breuer said Berger also tucked handwritten notes he made from the classified documents into his pockets and removed them without allowing archives officials to review them, as required by law"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64379-2004Jul20_2.html

Do you think they just chose not to include that rather damning portion of the statement? Or do you think Fox got it wrong. What I wouldn't give to find the statement verbatim.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2004
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 4:19am
AH HA HA HA!

Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2004
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 4:38am

<>


See , I was going to say that, as well.

Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 7:11am
Metrochick,

I just wanted to say that your replies to this thread have been great!

I'm not going to bother replying to this thread again because it is obvious that the Republicans on this board want to continue to hype this up to be more than it apparently was. I hope they realize that this is simply a diversion from the reports and will not help Bush at all. People realize that releasing this info just prior to the 911 report is released was done for political reasons. It will make some wonder, why are they trying to divert my attention away from this report? What do they want to hide? I heard a couple of reports that Bush aides are saying that remember he is an advisor to Kerry. Rove/Bush can try to link Kerry to this until they are blue in the face but it won't work. They are truly desperate to go to this level during the release of the report. I can't wait to see what they will pull once the dem convention begins.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-04-2004
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 8:15am
Just wanted to say-how convenient that this story broke just prior to the Democratic convention-I wonder what the Democrats will come up prior to the Republican Conventio-can you tell I am sick and tired of mud slinging on both sides-
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-18-2004
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 8:48am

Hey there, maryscots!!


A big welcome to the politics today board to you!

Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-16-2004
Wed, 07-21-2004 - 11:50am
Atually, he took the actual documents from the National Archives, which being the former National Security Advisor, he should know that what he did is in extreme violation of security protocol.

The staff noticed Berger apparently putting papers in his jacket, and pants, so on his next visit, they flagged all of the documents he took, and found that he again took more documents.

Anyone believing Berger's assertion that it was a mistake is pretty naive.

There was definite intent involved. Whether or not it was malicious remains to be seen.

The people that will see this for what it is are those that are looking for the truth, not the partisans. They see things the way they want to regardless.

-- It is all of a sudden leaked out the week the 911 commission report is due out! Rove/Bush administration fingerprints are all over this one. They are DIRTY and SLEAZY.

It is amazing to see the different reactions on Capitol Hill. The Republicans want to know why Berger did it, and many of the Democratic leadership want to know who leaked this information (apparently they dont feel the fact that Berger severely broke security regulations is of any concern....but then again that seems par for the course with former Clinton Intelligence people..... John Deutch was taking his laptop home from the CIA with sensitive material on it)

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