Louis Freeh: Investigating Bill Clinton
By Steve Boggess (11/02/05)
Some people learn from their mistakes, others like to look inconspicuous, still others just like to think that if they ignore problems long enough they will go away.
During his term as president of the United States, Bill Clinton was his own worst enemy. This was apparent in how he conducted the daily life as president and commander-in-chief.
Former FBI director Louis Freeh said recently that he had better things to do than to investigate President Clinton, who he says brought disgrace to the office and mishandled the U.S. response to terrorism.
This was evidenced by Clinton's response to the World Trade Center bombings in 1993, to name just one example.
Louis said, "We were always investigating him because there were always Bill Clinton allegations. Independent counsels were investigating him. Ultimately, the Congress of the United States was investigating him."
Taking on the Clintons has not been a very easy task for those reporters who wanted to get the truth out there to the tax payers. Those who have attempted to that have either been threatened with the loss of their jobs, or censored in what they can write about.
Freeh said he had no personal animus toward Clinton, and respects anyone who holds that office. But he added that Clinton turned the oval office into a personal disgrace. Freeh also said that while that was Clinton's business, that did not have anything to do with what Freeh was doing as FBI director.
During the seven years that the FBI was investigating Bill Clinton, Freeh said that the former president didn't understand that it wasn't anything personal in nature. The FBI had lots of serious work to do, but that Clinton didn't like being investigated, which Freeh said was understandable on his part. But that ultimately, the responsibility to do that type of investigating falls on the director of the FBI.
Bill Clinton asked Crown Prince Abdullah in 1998 for financial donations to his presidential library, a charge former administration officials deny.
Former White House counsel Lanny Davis called that charge malicious and terrible.
Mr. Davis also added, "I disparage any man, who, as FBI director, has a personal problem rather than doing his job. That's disparaging."
Mr. Freeh said that neither Mr. Clinton, nor his national security advisor, Samuel R. Berger, showed any interest in the case, and accused both men of compromising it.
Louis Freeh added, "Talk about ineptness and compromising an investigation, the president of the United States writes a letter to the Iranian president in 1999, a letter that says, 'we think you may be involved in the murder of our 19 Americans at Khobar. Please help us, or you won't get any better trade assistance or foreign relations.' "
The former FBI director stated that neither he, nor then Attorney General Janet Reno were told about the letter and to make matter worse and to show the ineptness, the letter was misdelivered to a spiritual leader who went berserk and compromised the Saudi government as the informant.
Mr. Freeh said, "It would be the equivalent of sending a letter to Mafia don John Gotti to tell him that we know a couple of his men were involved in major racketeering cases, and could he please co-operate with us?"
Mr. Berger was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and fined $50,000 for stuffing into his clothing presidential documents from the National Archives that would have been part of the September 11 commission probe of terrorism preparedness.
Louis Freeh said, "That's the kind of tactical intelligence that would make a difference in stopping a hijacking."
What is also sad is how Clinton's wife Hillary held up a sign on the floor of the senate that accused President Bush of knowing when and where the September 11 hijackers were going to strike. There is more than enough evidence to prove otherwise.
This is only part of the legacy that Bill Clinton has left behind. Part two could begin with the election of his wife, Hillary. Should the Democrats throw their collective support behind another Clinton, then we, as a nation, have nothing to look forward to except higher taxes, a weak military and hardly any credible intelligence gathering.
In these times it is imperative that this not happen, ever.
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