Law Enforcement Says Berger Took Alot Of "Bathroom Breaks"

[Jackson4Gore]

http://www.news-leader.com/today/0722-Guardsleft-138802.html

Guards left Berger alone, sources say
Ex-security adviser reportedly told monitors to violate rules as he took breaks, took files.

By James Gordon Meek
New York Daily News

Washington — Former national security adviser Sandy Berger repeatedly persuaded monitors assigned to watch him review top-secret documents to break the rules and leave him alone, sources said Wednesday.

Berger, accused of smuggling some of the secret files out of the National Archives, got the monitors out of the high-security room by telling them he had to make sensitive phone calls.

Guards were convinced to violate their own rules by stepping out of the secure room as he looked over documents and allegedly stashed some in his clothing, sources said.

"He was supposed to be monitored at all times but kept asking the monitor to leave so he could make private calls," a senior law enforcement source told the Daily News.

Berger also took "lots of bathroom breaks" that aroused some suspicion, the source added. It is standard procedure to constantly monitor anyone with a security clearance who examines the type of code-word classified files stored in the underground archives vault.

The same archives monitors told the FBI Berger was observed stuffing his socks with handwritten notes about files he reviewed that were going to the Sept. 11 panel. It is prohibited to make notes about the secret files and leave with them without special approval.

Berger's attorney, Lanny Breuer, has denied the allegation that Berger hid papers in his socks.

[Jackson4Gore]

1. This just gets crazier! Now, I really don't know what to think.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

13. Right. You started another thread on this topic yesterday morning....

...one that got locked. Remember? You should, because you played the same game as you're playing now.

If you don't remember the thread you started, here's a reminder:

<http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2033038>

[Jackson4Gore]

18. You are a joke

You totally disrupted that whole thread yesterday arguing with one poster or another. I can't help it if you can't take someone else's opinion without accussing them of playing a game. Anyway, I think people saw yesterday who it is to ignore. So goodbye.

[Judi Lynn]

21. Thanks for linking that thread. Didn't see it when it was active.

VERY illuminating, for sure. I've seen that original tactic so often, I recognize it instantly, like most regular DU readers. Funny to note they keep trying to use it, as if it's never been DONE TO DEATH.

[Jackson4Gore]

25. What are you talking about?

[rooboy]

2. Let me get this straight...

MONTHS afer the incident, all of these sensational stories drop in the space of 48 hours. Utter bullshit.

[bogey18]

5. Right - this is just another

well coordinated misdirection to somehow make it look like the dems are trying to hide something. Total distraction from the findings of the 911 commission.

These guys are just flat out scary.

[sandnsea]

6. Exactly

Somebody is trying way too damn hard to make a story out of this.

[shraby]

7. Did the guards who were

supposed to monitor Berger and didn't get fired? After all, they were responsible for classified material. If they still have their jobs, why?

[Suzi Creamcheese]

23. If Berger knew about this for months he should have told Kerry

about it so Kerry could take precautions. Does anyone know if he advised Kerry that he (Berger) could be charged with multiple felonies? Even if the charges were total BS, they could seriously damage Kerry. You don't get close to a candidate if you are radioactive.

I'm still reading about this and trying to believe what I am reading. If they searched Berger's house in February surely he knew. This is just nuts.

[sandnsea]

3. Why are they talking?

I thought this was investigation was supposed to be very confidential. Who are these people running off at the mouth? And where are all the people running off at the mouth about Valerie Plame?

This whole thing is nuts. I suspect they've got nothing so they're just running a smear campaign instead.

[bossfish]

4. Lots of bathroom breaks?

Maybe Berger is a Syrian musician-terrorist?

[gauguin57]

8. lol bossfish

bwaaaahaaahaaaa ... syrian musician terrorist... haaaaaaaaa!

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

9. More unadulterated crap...this time from the New York Daily News....

...printed in a newsite owned by the Gannett Company. The Gannett Company is just another rightwing publishing company.

I'm curious why you didn't post the New York Daily website. Maybe it's because they look like the National Inquirer or some other tawdry tabloid:

<http://www.nydailynews.com/>

...or maybe it's because of the way they're presenting this story in other articles:

<http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/214295p-184483c.html>

Yep...a real credible news machine.

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. It's not getting crazier...just more rediculous. n/t

[gauguin57]

11. Dunno about the "files" he allegedly smuggled ..

... but someone on one of the pundit shows yesterday said you're not even allowed to take your own handwritten NOTES, based on what's in those archives, out of the room. Maybe Berger bent the rules cuz he wanted to have the notes with him when he testified before this very important commission.

Doesn't excuse what he ALLEGEDLY did ... but that may be part of the explanation. He may be another one of those guys who feel the rules are for someone else -- he was gonna write out some notes to help him testify, and he wasn't gonna let some guard tell him he couldn't take them out.

[cookie]

12. time frame

Was this before or after they caught Hatch's intern downloading all the Dem Senators' memos? I don't suspect a connection, just really curious...

[Tatiana]

14. This is bullshit.

Sandy Berger did his job when he was NSA. He helped thwart numerous terrorist attacks. He TRIED TO WARN Condoleeza Rice about Al Quaeda and Osama.

I think it's obvious that Berger was looking for something. However, I trust that his motives were honest, as he has been described by EVERYONE as a man of integrity. Perhaps he was on to something and needed materials in archive to connect some dots.

As far as I am concerned this is a NON-STORY until he is charged with something. The timing of this leak is indeed suspicious. It was probably leaked only because no one was going to charge Berger. The WH decided to turn up the heat, so to speak.

[TexasSissy]

15. I don't believe this. It's just plain silly.

Maybe he has prostate trouble, hence the bathroom breaks. But stuffing his socks? Please.

I don't know how many portly, egotistical, rich, middle aged men you know, but none of the ones I know would "stoop" to stuffing their socks with papers.

Besides...these were COPIES, not originals. There would be no point in trying to conceal what others had already read and written about, and what others had the originals of.

And he wouldn't need to SHOW someone the papers. He could simply tell them what's in them, if he wanted to. He's a smart man. He could remember.

[NightOwwl]

You still haven't answered my question

from your previous thread on the same subject. I'll repeat it for you:

*******************
What do you make of these cases?

Valerie Plame outing
Bush's records "accidentally" destroyed by the Pentagon
Cheney and Halliburton's no-bid contracts
Cheney's secret energy meetings
No WMDs?
No Iraq/OBL connection?
*********************

Well?

[NightOwwl]

16. Dupe. Sorry

[tkmorris]

17. Bullshit

"The same archives monitors told the FBI Berger was observed stuffing his socks with handwritten notes about files he reviewed that were going to the Sept. 11 panel. It is prohibited to make notes about the secret files and leave with them without special approval."

But these monitors didn't stop him at the time? Didn't alert anyone, search him at the scene, or anything? Absolute fucking nonsense. I cannot believe you are posting this and then saying "I don't know what to believe". If you assign any credibility to this string of drivel ..........ah forget it. There are no words.

:mad:

[jpgray]

19. Is there any evidence he 'stashed' them in his clothing?

I'm curious.

[pbg]

20. Remember...

1) he handled no originals, just copies. Steal all you want, we'll make more.

2) These were records of his own actions. They're the records of his own department when he was running it. He knows this stuff already.

3) This was last september/October. If Ashcroft would declassify documents to smear Gorelick, why didn't he trot this out to smear Berger? Maybe because it's stupid?

Wen Ho Lee.

Michael Yee.

[Norquist Nemesis]

27. As to your #3 on Ashcroft...

my instincts are saying that he is the one who leaked this. Some are pointing at the WH, but Ashcroft has had the goods since at least the beginning of the year. He's done this crap before, specifically with the 9/11 commission (ala Gorelick memo). He's mean, hateful, spiteful, and underhanded.

Welcome to DU! You're just a couple of towns to the north of me (Aurora). Howdy neighbor! :hi:

[Suzi Creamcheese]

22. This is just unbelievable

Too crazy to be true. I refuse to believe it. It's like something out of the Onion.

[lapfog_1]

24. The reason that this is bullshit

is that if ANYONE had been witnessed stuffing notes or documents
into their SOCKS while visiting a high security facility and reading
"code word" documents, he or she would have been arrested and searched
immediately.

I've been to a *few* high security environments (and NO, I won't tell
you where or what or even when) I can tell you that this did NOT go
down as the VRWM (vast right wing media) is stuffing into the echo
chamber. Even with a clearance, I was followed into restrooms by
armed marine guards who watched (no doors on the stalls) while I
answered nature's call. I don't think that being a former National
Security Adviser (and likely author of the papers in question) would
make tinkers damn of a difference.

This whole story stinks, the timing stinks, and the echo chamber and
media coverage stinks.

[tom_paine]

26. Exactly. Mockingbirds and Loyalists are doing what has now become routine

Laundering a lie as this (if it is a lie, to be fair) is CHILD'S PLAY for them.