Sponsored Content
« Sen. Craig Thomas Dies of Leukemia | Main | Does My Fat Ass Make My Ass Look Fat? »
June 05, 2007

Sandy Berger's Unpunished National Security Crimes

Just to get your blood boiling in light of the remarkable 2 1/2 year sentence for Scooter Libby, bear in mind Sandy Berger walked off with probation, a fine, and a temporary loss of his security clearance (which he'll have back in time to serve Hillary! as NSA), despite lying far more egregiously than Scooter Libby ever dreamed of.

President Clinton designated Berger as his representative to the 9/11 Commission and related hearings, which gave Berger special access to highly classified documents in the National Archives relating to the Clinton Administration's handling of al-Qaeda and similar terror threats. Berger got around rules requiring that the documents only be reviewed with Archives' employees present, purposefully stole documents, destroyed them, and lied about it all. When caught, he first blamed Archives employees for misplacing the documents, then admitted having taken them inadvertently (this is the point at which he cut the plea deal), and finally acknowledged what was obvious from the facts that were emerging - he intentionally removed and destroyed documents.

Justice Department officials who investigated the missing documents initially were persuaded that Berger must, as he claimed, have taken documents by mistake and then destroyed them to avoid having sensitive material in his possession. The plea agreement was based on the assumption that Berger was mishandling classified material - not manhandling it.

Now, however, it is clear that there was nothing innocent or inadvertent in Berger's conduct. He has something to hide and, whatever it is, he was terrified that at least some part of it would come out of a non-criminal hearing before the Bar. With no possible criminal charges to face, he could not have claimed a right against self-incrimination. He could no longer get away with saying that he took documents accidentally, took them only to prepare for up-coming hearings (why, then, take five copies of one memo?), or didn't intend to destroy them. He would, in other words, have had to say more than he has so far.

We don't know with any certainty what is missing, which papers exactly are gone, or what notes - and whose notes - may have been on them. Berger's lawyer asserted that the 9/11 Commission had copies of all the material Berger stole and destroyed. But if that is so, why would Berger risk so much to destroy it and be so keen today on avoiding any real inquiry into what he did?

Ron Cass emphasizes the fact that Berger surrendered his law license rather than answer these questions at a bar inquiry. If he could answer truthfully, why surrender something so precious?


digg this
posted by Ace at 12:45 PM

| Access Comments




Recent Comments
Eromero: "Woke woke woke woke woke wokety woke woke. WOKE! ..."

[/i] [/s] [/u] [/b]An Observation sez China Joe not my president: "[i] But, a workplace can set rules on what they a ..."

Skip : "Auto correct will always correct the word woke to ..."

Like they do in the movies : "Wasn't the bus driver supposed to tilt the gun ove ..."

Cato, Post-Apocalyptic Scourge of the Seas: "We're going to lose the next war. Posted by: Four ..."

polynikes: "Well, since we've failed to win any war in the pas ..."

[/i] [/s] [/u] [/b]An Observation sez China Joe not my president: "The bus driver can and should sue the Metro line u ..."

jim (in Kalifornia): "185 The bus driver has a 2nd amendment right to ke ..."

Formerly Virginian: "[i]We're going to lose the next war. Posted by: F ..."

jim (in Kalifornia): "184 Auto correct will always correct the word woke ..."

jim (in Kalifornia): "182 Auto correct will always correct the word woke ..."

Smell the Glove: "Funny video at Twitchy. Climate protesters in Euro ..."

Recent Entries
Search


Polls! Polls! Polls!
Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Top Top Tens
Greatest Hitjobs

The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon
A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates
Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny
More Margaret Cho Abuse
Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny
Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman
Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format
John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia
World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading
Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree
Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears
Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed"
Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility
Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips
They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan
Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq
Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town
When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool
What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means
Wonkette's Stand-Up Act
Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour
Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider
My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty
Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA
An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear
The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report!
Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet
The House of Love: Paul Krugman
A Michael Moore Mystery (TM)
The Dowd-O-Matic!
Liberal Consistency and Other Myths
Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias
John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate
"Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long)
The Donkey ("The Raven" parody)
Powered by
Movable Type 2.64