Spies are shot, aren't they?


Title: Hastert Statement on Berger Allegations ("Berger has a lot of
explaining to do")
Source: newswire
URL Source: http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp? id=134-07202004
Published: Jul 20, 2004
Author: newswire



WASHINGTON, July 20 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Today, House Speaker Dennis Hastert
(R-Ill.) released the following statement regarding allegations that former
National Security Advisor Sandy Berger removed highly classified terrorism
documents and handwritten notes from a secure reading room during
preparations for the 9/11 Commission hearings:

"I am profoundly troubled by allegations that former National Security
Advisor Sandy Berger removed highly classified documents from the National
Archives regarding the Clinton Administration's handling of terrorist
attacks prior to the September 11th attacks.

"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?

"It is my understanding that Mr. Berger shoved this classified information
into his clothing to smuggle them out of the National Archives. Press
reports indicate that Archival staff became concerned when documents began
to disappear and specifically marked additional documents to track them. A
number of those documents also turned up missing.

"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."