Monday, July 26, 2004
Millennium Docs Destroyed by Berger Before 9/11 Hearings
On Sunday, Commission co-chair Lee Hamilton insisted that investigators had reviewed every Millennium Review draft that the Archives had in their files, telling NBC's "Meet the Press," We believe we've seen all the documents. ... We're quite sure we've seen all the documents in full."
NewsMax: Most of the existing drafts of the White House's After-Action Millennium Plot Review were stolen from the National Archives and destroyed by former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger at least six months before the Sept. 11 Commission dealt with Millennium issues in interim staff conclusions and public hearings.
A chronological review of hearings and staff statement transcripts available on the 9/11 Commission Web site shows that the Millennium plot was not covered in any detail until public hearings in March and April 2004, more than six months after the Berger thefts.
Berger's attorney, Lanny Breuer, acknowledged to the Washington Post on Sunday that his client's last visit to the National Archives came on Oct. 2, 2003, two days before archives officials told Berger he was suspected of removing documents.
Those same officials told the Post that they had five or six drafts of the Millennium after-action review in their files, all of which were eventually stolen by Berger. Only two copies were returned, the Post said, noting, "other drafts of the after-action document, [Archives officials] said, were apparently discarded."
While Democrats have argued that the Millennium reports destroyed by Berger were copies, the New York Post reported on Friday, "Officials say it is possible he also got some unique documents directly from the files" - an apparent reference to original handwritten notes made by senior Clinton officials on the draft copies.
Neither Hamilton nor Commission Chairman Tom Kean have given any public assurances that every draft of the Millennium review, complete with original notes, had been seen by investigators before Berger destroyed them.
On Sunday, Commission co-chair Lee Hamilton insisted that investigators had reviewed every Millennium Review draft that the Archives had in their files, telling NBC's "Meet the Press," We believe we've seen all the documents. ... We're quite sure we've seen all the documents in full."
NewsMax: Most of the existing drafts of the White House's After-Action Millennium Plot Review were stolen from the National Archives and destroyed by former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger at least six months before the Sept. 11 Commission dealt with Millennium issues in interim staff conclusions and public hearings.
A chronological review of hearings and staff statement transcripts available on the 9/11 Commission Web site shows that the Millennium plot was not covered in any detail until public hearings in March and April 2004, more than six months after the Berger thefts.
Berger's attorney, Lanny Breuer, acknowledged to the Washington Post on Sunday that his client's last visit to the National Archives came on Oct. 2, 2003, two days before archives officials told Berger he was suspected of removing documents.
Those same officials told the Post that they had five or six drafts of the Millennium after-action review in their files, all of which were eventually stolen by Berger. Only two copies were returned, the Post said, noting, "other drafts of the after-action document, [Archives officials] said, were apparently discarded."
While Democrats have argued that the Millennium reports destroyed by Berger were copies, the New York Post reported on Friday, "Officials say it is possible he also got some unique documents directly from the files" - an apparent reference to original handwritten notes made by senior Clinton officials on the draft copies.
Neither Hamilton nor Commission Chairman Tom Kean have given any public assurances that every draft of the Millennium review, complete with original notes, had been seen by investigators before Berger destroyed them.
