POLITICS: Clinton Official Sandy Berger Removed Classified Papers

"However, 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 are still missing, officials and lawyers told The Associated Press."
abcnews.go.com...

Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, says,

"What information could be so embarrassing that a man with decades of experience in handling classified documents would risk being caught pilfering our nation's most sensitive secrets?
"Did these documents detail simple negligence or did they contain something more sinister? Was this a bungled attempt to rewrite history and keep critical information from the 9/11 Commission and potentially put their report under a cloud?"
releases.usnewswire.com...

Berger has just stepped down from Kerry's campaign team:
apnews.myway.com...


from the AP news flash:
"However, 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 are still missing, officials and lawyers told The Associated Press."

How does one" inadvertently" put classified documents into one's pants and socks? Hmmmm? Gee wonder what he was trying to hide!

Just another Clinton administration official trying to put one over on us! we should expect nothing less from a Clintonista!!

Originally posted by Jalengrma
How does one" inadvertently" put classified documents into one's pants and socks? Hmmmm? Gee wonder what he was trying to hide! Just another Clinton administration official trying to put one over on us! we should expect nothing less from a Clintonista!!

Maybe it was to impress another intern Are those classified docs in your pocket or are you happy to see me". Im not sure why people are so shocked by all of this. The Clintons and thier appointed cronies did this stuff when they were in office. Remeber Vince Foster and the reports of one of the Clintons aids taking papers out of the office?????

Politics aside, it is a disturbing story. Berger was "sloppy" only in that he got caught. What remains to be seen is where this will lead.

I was reading on CNN that Berger was stuffing papers in his socks. Socks? I believed the story until I heard the sock part. Who is this unnamed source that saw this? Could Berger be telling the truth? It sounds like someone was embellishing to make a point. They should of stopped at pants.

What difference does it make if he put them in his pants, socks, portfolio, or even made them into paper airplanes and tossed them out the window?

He has admitted to (illegally) removing documents and now says there are some he cannot find. What is now important is whether or not his story is true, that it was an accident and the papers were inadvertantly tossed out, or if he was trying to hide something embarassing to the former administration.

The jury is still out on this.

So which do you prefer, Bergergate, or SecurityGate?

The Real issue is that BIll Clinton will NEVER have his "Legacy"
if people keep deleting, losing, stuffing, the record of his presidency.

This Story (which I think will be BIG) was up pretty much ALL Day yesterday, in some news outlets.
In other new outlets........(imagine the sound of crickets chirping)

Originally posted by Majic
Politics aside, it is a disturbing story. Berger was "sloppy" only in that he got caught. What remains to be seen is where this will lead.

This will probably end with Berger going to trial for criminal charges and he better make some kind of deal but that is unlikely since he accidentally threw some papers out so his house was raided by the FBI so im guessing he will be spending some time behind bars.

Newsmax is reporting that papers were taken on as many as 5 different occasions!

Supposedly Berger was observed "borrowing" the documents, by employees.

Wouldn't you think that the National Archives would have security video cameras running 24/7?

Might need to add that it was condi rice that let him in there to get the document's in the first place more to come later

Falcon

how was she supposed to know he was taking documents. you would think he would know better. But you can obiviously tell he was with Clintons administration. They all made the united states look bad.

In an interesting sidenote to the main Berger story it is notable that the Kerry/ Edwards campaign site has removed content since the Berger story broke.

Cached Goggle Page of Original Campaign Page

When you click on current page at Google cache you get this message from the Kerry/Edwards site,

"You have requested a page that has a broken link or is not on the site...

Return to John Kerry Home Page"

Is this just a coincidence or is there something on the removed page that came from information Sandy Berger supplied or maybe wrote/pasted?

Word is this page was removed after the Berger story broke, things that make ya go hmmmmm.

Anybody know how to tell when a google cache was made?

The documents taken were COPIES, the originals still reside in a secure location. The classified reading room does not contain the original documents. Why is everyone screaming coverup? It's not like the original information was some how lost or stolen. Berger also knew these were copies, so why would he steal them to hide something? as far as the GOP saying that the stolen information could be used to help the Kerry campaign, for the purpose of argument I would say Burger is the original author of the missing memos!! why would he need to steal them to relay the contents?!?! That makes no sense. This is a partisan issue that really has no substance.

According to the Baltimore Sun, a very liberal Democratic leaning paper, Berger took documents that were highly classified to include codeworded docucments that contained source material. Berger's "mistake" covered several days and included many documents. I think that he had a dual purpose in his "mistake," cover his old boss, and help his new one. No wonder Kerry site removed the information. I am a researcher at the archives and I can tell you that the documents were originals. The archive has copies of some doucument but they are on computer disks and you view them on a computer.

[edit on 21-7-2004 by jrsdls]

An Editorial, with some interesting details.

SECRETS IN HIS SOCKS

Actually, it wasn't just his pants into which Berger says he stuffed a bunch of classified documents to sneak them out of the National Archives: He crammed some into his socks, too.
Full Story

------------------------

I've been following this story for the last two days. Some interesting details:
1) He's been working with classified information for decades and knows the rules and signed the appropriate agreements.
2) He didn't hand over his notes as required.
3) He took documents in a satchel, his pants, jacket and socks.
4) He did this on more than one occasion.
5) He claims this was an innocent mistake.

Yeah, right, sure, uh-huh.

He broke the law. He violated the agreements he signed. The penalties range from a $10,0000 fine to life in prison depending upon the specific charges levied and purposes for his actions. It also calls for the permanent revocation of all security clearances. That's fact.

If a normal person (IE: any worker not a top level official) tried this nonsense he/she would be looking at minimum at several years in a federal prison. That's common sense and established precedent.

***MEMBERS: Do not simply post news articles in the forums without comment. If you feel inclined to make the board aware of current events, please post the first paragraph, a link to the entire story, AND your opinion, twist or take on the news item.


[edit on 21-7-2004 by Banshee]

Originally posted by J0HNSmith
as far as the GOP saying that the stolen information could be used to help the Kerry campaign, for the purpose of argument I would say Burger is the original author of the missing memos!! why would he need to steal them to relay the contents?!?! That makes no sense. This is a partisan issue that really has no substance.

Relaying the contents of code-worded documents to anyone not cleared for that specific document is highly illegal and if the person recieving the information knows it is classified they then become an accessory to the crime.

I find it interesting that Kerry blasted Bush about port security a few months back, it appears that Kerry got his information from Berger. No wonder, Kerry droped him like a hot potatoe. If you look hard and honestly at this whole affair it seems like Kerry was using Berger to get insider information on national security matters.