BillHobbs.com is a frequently updated blog of original reporting and commentary by Bill Hobbs, a longtime Nashville journalist and media relations adviser. I am currently serving as communications director for the Tennessee Republican Party, a job I began on Oct. 29, 2007.
Instapundit is the place to go for comprehensive coverage of the criminal investigation of Sandy Berger, one of John Kerry's advisers on foreign policy, stealing classified documents related to 9/11 and the Clinton administration's handling of al Qaeda/Osama bin Laden, from the National Archives - and withheld them from the 9/11 Commission.
Berger was Clinton's National Security Adviser. He stole the documents by stuffing them into his (rather large) pants. Some documents have been returned, but according to the AP, "some drafts of a sensitive after-action report on the Clinton administration's handling of al Qaeda terror threats during the December 1999 millennium celebration are still missing."
It's not been a good two weeks for Kerry. First, his foreign policy adviser Joe Wilson is exposed as a complete fraud by the Senate Intelligence Committee, which confirms British pre-war intel that indeed Saddam Hussein DID try to buy uranium in Africa. As a byproduct, the Senate Intelligence Committee report exposes Wilson, whose statements have been cited as "proof" that Bush lied us into war, as lying himself and possibly giving false testimony to Congress.
And now, Berger is caught stealing classified national security documents - for what reason we don't yet know. But we do know that Berger, as a former NSA, knows the very strict laws governing the handling of classified documents, and it is beyond silly to believe that he "inadvertently" jammed such documents down his pants. He took them on purpose, for a reason.
These are the people John Kerry proposes to put in charge of your national security? President Bush should use Berger and most especially Wilson as hammers to bludgeon Senator Kerry. Jay Bryant is right:
Lies, like ideas, have consequences, and the lies of Joseph Wilson have had devastating consequences not just for Bush's re-election prospects, but also for the War on Terrorism, the prospects for a free, peaceful and prosperous Iraq, and the security of the American people.
One of John Kerry's presidential campaign Finance Chairmen is a fellow named Hassan Nemazee. He's been a generous Democrat contributor in the past. He raised $250,000 for Al Gore in 2000. During the 1990's he gave more than $150,000 to the Democrat National Committee. And he made a generous contribution of $60,000 to Bill Clinton's legal defense fund.
Well, okay, so what? There's a lot of funny-money Democrat contributors out there, you might say. Ah, but very few with such an unwholesome relationship with the Mullahs that run the Islamic Republic of Iran, we would reply.
Indeed, Hassan Nemazee is the co-founder of the Iranian American Political Action Committee, which seeks to 'normalize' relations with the tyrannical regime foreign policy expert Michael Ledeen calls the 'Terror Masters.'
You're already blaming Bush and the "GOP Attack Machine" (insinuation) for the "timing" instead of rightly questioning Berger's actions. I can hear the howling had it been Dr Rice accused of this act.
Was Wilson an "operative?" I think not. If he is/was, he sure likes to maintain a high profile, what with his cars and suits. He's about as low-profile as Austin Powers. Further, I think it's been widely debunked that his wife was NOT a "covert" operative.
While it appears it was not illegal to name Valerie Wilson, I think it may have been unwise. However, please do not lump Joe in there...he's a clown and a publicity hound who has not been concerned with a low profile. He's about as good an "operative" as I am a rocket scientist.
please provide a list of cars and suits that constitute a low profile so i can pass it along to mr. Wilson. he would appreciate it.
Bill,
Sandy Berger was wrong to take copies of the documents. what were they about? he knew they were only one of several copies that are with the national archives. what was he going to gain by taking them?
I dunno, say a Honda Accord or a Toyota Camry. Maybe a Corolla or a Civic. Those are kind of common. Or how about a Ford Explorer? In a nice gray color. Pretty much anything except the convertible T-bird on the Vanity Fair cover. A nice dark suit from Mens Wearhouse would work, too. Maybe that instead of the Zegna suits, pink shirts, and Hermes ties.
My apologies for not making myself clear. I mentioned both their names in referring to Mr. Hobbs' posting. Specifically, I should have said,"...to reveal the identities of such operatives as Plame."
I am curious as to whether Mr. Novak has done any reporting on the progress of the investigation to determine the identity of the leaker. When the identity is revealed, might he be granted an interview with the person?
Regardless of the sensitivity of her position, don't you think it is a bad habit for responsible people in our government to get into?
And, yes, I think the matter of timing in the Berger matter is interesting. The investigation has gone on for months, and is brought up just a few days before the final commission report is due and the Democratic convention begins.
I still can't comprehend how he was allowed to leave after being observed by persons responsible for custody of the documents. How is that possible? Can I walk in and do the same thing? Do they have a copy machine available? In other words, some person or persons at the Archives should have been dealt with.
Sure they should be dealt with, I agree. However, they likely RIGHTLY expected Mr Berger to know how to safeguard classified materials. The lack of action by these people in know way excuses Berger from mishandling classified materials. I work in a SCIF (a big-ass vault protected by multiple alarms) in my AF job. We have highly classified stuff in there. If I were to walk out with some (or make copies/notes of same and walk out with it) and got caught, many heads would roll...starting with MINE.
I read somewhere else that this may be a classic Clinton-like pre-emptive leak/spin job. He's been under investigation for months, it WILL come out eventually, why not leak it now, blame the GOP for it and try to score some partisan points? I'm not saying that's true, but it is a solid theory.
The timing is never right for news you don't like. Either it is a distraction from the war, the election, the economy, the book release, the convention, the stain on the dress, the inauguration, etc. etc.
And, yes, I think the matter of timing in the Berger matter is interesting. The investigation has gone on for months, and is brought up just a few days before the final commission report is due and the Democratic convention begins.
Oh, please! This "timing" issue is completely bogus. News is a continuum: there is always something either just in the news or coming soon. No matter WHEN this was released, you lefties would be crying that it was a carefully timed leak.
what were they about? he knew they were only one of several copies that are with the national archives. what was he going to gain by taking them?
I'm sorry, but this is an incredibly stupid question to ask. The answer is simple: he was going to have the information the documents contained at his disposal, probably to pass along to whatever the Democrat nominee would be. (At the time, Berger was a foreign policy advisor to four of the Dems running.)
But there were some documents that were originals, and Berger apparently "inadvertantly" destroyed those. Why do you think those documents were destroyed?
Can a person, such as Berger, view the documents and dictate the contents via a cell phone? Perhaps phones are prohibited.
Also, what if a memory expert went in, viewed the sensitive documents, then left and assimilated the information into coherent form outside. Would he or she have transgressed?
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