Did the 9/11 Commission receive all the documents it requested?
Oversight and Government Reform Committee Ranking Member Tom Davis (R-VA) released the following statement today on a committee report that sheds important new light on Sandy Berger’s theft of classified documents from the National Archives:
“My staff’s investigation reveals that President Clinton’s former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger compromised national security much more than originally disclosed,” Davis said. “It is now also clear that Mr. Berger was willing to go to extraordinary lengths to compromise national security, apparently for his own convenience.
 ”The 9/11 Commission relied on incomplete and misleading information regarding its access to documents Mr. Berger reviewed. No one ever told the Commission that Mr. Berger had access to original documents that he could have taken without detection.
 “We now know that Mr. Berger left stolen highly classified documents at a construction site to avoid detection. We know that Mr. Berger insisted on privacy at times to allow him to conceal documents that he stole. One witness with a very high security clearance believed he saw Berger concealing documents in his socks.
 “Mr. Berger’s review of documents did not conform to the usual requirements for reviewing classified documents in a secure facility and under strict supervision. The Archives staff’s failure to contact law enforcement immediately and their contacts with Mr. Berger about the missing documents compromised the law enforcement effort.
 “The compromised law enforcement effort contributes to reduced confidence that the 9/11 Commission received all the documents it requested. The execution of a search warrant before Mr. Berger knew there was an investigation would have either located additional documents or enhanced confidence that he stole no others than those he admitted to taking.
 “The public statements of the former chief of the public integrity section, Noel Hillman, were incomplete and misleading. Because Mr. Berger had access to original documents that he could have taken without detection, we do not know if anything ‘was lost to the public or the process.’
 “The Justice Department’s assertion that Mr. Berger’s statements are credible after being caught is misplaced. One wouldn’t rely on the fox to be truthful after being nabbed in the hen house. But the Justice Department apparently did.”
Ouch! Here is the  Staff Report- Sandy Berger’s Theft of Classified Documents: Unanswered Questions (PDF)
Hugh Hewitt, Blog-o-Fascists, and Flopping Aces have more
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January 10, 2007 - 01:39 AM on January 10th, 2007
One word NO! And for a political/race reason, it was a real inside job done by someone we all know, and yes “Bin Laden”, did plan it and did order it and many knew inside the government that it was on the way, it appears many wanted it to happen, and billions have been made and our open border’s are in fact the tools of someone we all know, all to well, if you know what I mean?
Evil comes down the road in many ways, ask why in the time of war our borders are opened? if we are under attack by some evil force? ask why our own so-called government of both political parties? appear to live open borders?
By the way Bin Laden will win with the help of the political system of the third world inside your own congress and other places, also ask why in Mexico city did 1 million people have a party that day, it was reported to the world, ask why and keep asking until some fat mexican cop arrest you for asking inside the former USA, Hell start calling this non nation what it really is, a joke. Rule of law my Ass, more like Rule of the drug dealers of mexico city.
January 10, 2007 - 07:40 AM on January 10th, 2007
We know damned well taht the 9/11 commission did not see everything, nor did they care to thanks to Jaime Gorelick and Lee Hamilton.
January 10, 2007 - 11:14 AM on January 10th, 2007
excuses, excuses…
Pass that old buck!
How about it was simply wrong from the outset? What does it take for you people to see the light?
I predict tomorrow you’ll all be applauding Bush’s power-drive adding of troops to control the mayhem he created. Ugh.
I know “old soldiers die hard” but hell it’s time to pull the dirt in over your graves.
What does it take for you to admit we’ve wasted human lives by a misguided war directed at people who had nothing to do with 9/11?
Is it impossible for Republicans admit error or something. I know Bush can’t but is it like a pledge you guys take or something?:roll:
January 10, 2007 - 11:35 AM on January 10th, 2007
3- excuses, excuses: Pass that old buck! Passing what buck? Berger stole archives and the testimony given was tainted at best…why the need for him to be deceiptful about it? I suppose he had much to hide..
Which brings us to the fact that we are now fighting the war that Clinton should have engaged in when we were repeatedly attacked in the 90’s!
Bush didn’t create the situation, he inherited it from prior leaders…too bad you can’t see that..
January 10, 2007 - 11:37 AM on January 10th, 2007
RE 3:
Although not a Reoublican, I’ll respond.
Bush’s invasion of Iraq went very well. It was indeed “mission accomplished” as he proclaimed on the deck of the carrier. I will concede his post war occupation and rebuilding plan was/is abysmal. no doubt about it, he should have re-examined that at least a year ago.
But your post belies a base ignorance of world events. The fact that we went to Iraq as part of the GWOT was not misplaced. I agree, there may have been other targets and arguabley better targets. HOWEVER, to state it was wrong from the outset is not accurate.
As far as the troop surge, I will not applaud it if it inedded only the 20,000 that it is rumored to entail. Bush needed to go with the Powell Doctrine- that is exceeding overwelming forces to control the area. Troop stregnth should be doubled, perhaps tripled or quadrupled.
January 10, 2007 - 11:39 AM on January 10th, 2007
Re 4.
Carter was the founder of this problem, not Clinton I think. Clinton just failed to act upon it properly. carter’s was a foreign policy nightmare- a prime example of why apeasement does not work.
January 10, 2007 - 11:53 AM on January 10th, 2007
It has already been shown that the 9/11 commissison report was at best deeply flawed, at worst a politicized joke. This information just adds weight to those asessments.
BTW Sandy Burglar should have been given about 10 years in Fed prison. Does anyone think if you or I stole documents from the National Archives we would be treated so gently?
January 10, 2007 - 11:56 AM on January 10th, 2007
Eben is a fool who can’t see this is a war of terror waged by Islamofascists. She just wants to surrender because she believes that they wouldn’t dare put her in a burqa and keep her as a piece of chattal.
January 10, 2007 - 12:00 PM on January 10th, 2007
I predict tomorrow you’ll all be applauding Bush’s power-drive adding of troops to control the mayhem he created. Ugh.
I’ll applaud the day (if ever) the antiwar Left and Liberals get out of the way so our Military can do its job, rather than forcing it to adhere to rules of engagement that preclude victory, then blaming them for not finishing the job.
January 10, 2007 - 12:06 PM on January 10th, 2007
What does it take for you to admit we’ve wasted human lives by a misguided war directed at people who had nothing to do with 9/11?
Honestly—have you really gone this far and still believe the reason Iraq was invaded was because Bush or someone believed Saddam was involved some way in 9/11?
If you believe that, you really need a reality check. Not an insult. I am serious, you really need to go back to fundamentals and reasess.
January 10, 2007 - 01:13 PM on January 10th, 2007
6. Carter was in fact the first U.S. president who made very poor decisions with regards to the middle east. However, I would go back as far as Hitler and Britain in WWII who really started it. After seeing a History Channel special on this a few weeks back it spoke of how Iran, Iraq and other middle eastern leaders helped Hitler by signing on their militaries to help defeat England and take over Europe. It wasn’t hard for them to do as they hated jews as much as Hitler did (and Hitler was only using them because he felt they were inferior as well.) When Hitler fell the British went to them with a deal to buy their oil, etc. Of course the U.S. being British allies also favored this deal.
So, from post WWII we have become an oil hungry nation thirsting for the middle east reserves.
Back to the topic on hand. The 9/11 Commision report was incomplete and therefore virtually useless. Why on earth they would bother doing this without all the facts is beyond me. To try to exonerate Clinton is futile for anyone old enough to have been paying attention to world events.