Theft and Cover-Up
Former Clinton administration National Security Advisor Samuel "Sandy" Berger was witnessed stuffing classified national security documents in his socks and pants, then illegally removing them from the National Archives. Some of the missing papers were later found in Berger's home by FBI agents executing a search warrant. Other papers apparently were destroyed.
Berger has called it an "honest mistake". Sure... we all accidentally shove classified papers into our clothing on a daily basis. Could'a happened to any of us!
Democratic apologists have come forward to defend Berger, claiming the investigation is timed to detract from the 9/11 report (which really didn't criticize President Bush) or the Democratic convention. The mainstream media has made tremednous attempts to avoid the story entirely. Fortunately, the US Justice Department isn't letting it go. Neither are Republican members of Congress.
Said Sen. Saxby Chambliss, (R-Georgia): “I deal with classified documents every single day. We know better, and Sandy Berger knew better... And for gosh sakes, Sen. Kerry knows better than to utilize those documents in any way. And we think it needs to be called into question as to whether or not they have.”
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), called Berger's actions on Tuesday a "third-rate burglary" and a "gravely, gravely serious" threat to national security.
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) said he is "profoundly troubled" by the allegations. "What could those documents have said that drove Mr. Berger to remove them without authorization from a secure reading room for classified documents? 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?
"Mr. Berger has a lot of explaining to do. He was given access to these documents to assist the 9-11 Commission, not hide information from them. The American people and the 9-11 families don't want cover-ups when it comes to the War on Terror. They want the truth. And so does the U.S. House of Representatives."
Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) questioned Berger's motivation for the thefts, "What in heaven's name was he thinking? What is so important that he would risk both his reputation and prosecution to remove these documents? What's there to hide? There is no one with his experience who can claim that these are the actions of an absent-minded employee. Sandy Berger knows better."
Shortly after the news broke about Berger's taking of classified documents, the John Kerry campaign removed the candidate's anti-terrorism plans from the campaign web site, fueling speculation that some of the classified material was either a part of those plans, or had profoundly influenced them.
It's encouraging to hear that members of Congress are asking questions, and that the Justice Department isn't walking away from the issue. The media might not want to cover the story, but as long as people in power pursue it, the media can't make it go away. Fortunately, we have Fox News, Joe Scarborough at MSNBC, Limbaugh, Hannity, Boortz, NewsMax, WorldNetDaily and the Wall Street Journal to keep issues like tis at the forefront.
