The harlem rapist lies in the news again.
Clinton 'Keenly Aware' Of Rich Pardon Deal
NEW YORK -- According to phone transcripts of
conversations between then President Bill Clinton and
Israeli leader Ehud Barak, Clinton was keenly aware of
details of the controversial pardon case of fugitive
financier Marc Rich.
In the transcripts, reviewed by Newsweek, Clinton tells
Barak at one point, "I'm working on that," but also warns:
"It's best that we not say much about that."
The two leaders had no reason to believe the
conversation would ever become public. But all
telephone conversations between U.S. presidents and
foreign heads of state are monitored by a team of
note-takers sitting at computer terminals in the White
House Situation Room.
Last week, congressional investigators probing the Rich
pardon received access to National Security
Council-prepared transcripts of three Clinton-Barak
conversations that dealt with the Rich pardon.
Newsweek reviewed those transcripts.
In the August 27 issue (on newsstands Monday, August
20), Investigative Correspondent Michael Isikoff writes
that while the conversations offer no "smoking gun"
showing that the former president was motivated by
Rich's large donations to his presidential library or by
generous campaign contributions, they do show that
Clinton was keenly aware of details of the case and
appeared determined to grant the highly questionable
pardon. Barak first raised the issue with Clinton on
December 11, 2000, the same day Jack Quinn, Rich's
newly hired lawyer (and former Clinton White House
counsel) submitted a thick pardon application which
included a personal letter from Rich's ex-wife Denise
requesting the pardon be granted.
In that first conversation, Barak described Rich as a
"Jewish American businessman" who was "making a lot of
philanthropic contributions to Israeli institutions and
activities like education."
Barak acknowledged that Rich had "violated certain rules
of the game in the United States." But "I just wanted to
let you know that here he is highly appreciated," the
Israeli leader said. Clinton was not caught off guard by
the information. "I know about the case because I know
his ex-wife. She wants to help him, too. If your ex-wife
wants to help you, that's good."
Barak raised the issue of a Rich pardon a second time on
January 8, with less than two weeks left in Clinton's
presidency. "I believe it could be important (gap) not just
financially, but he helped Mossad [the Israeli intelligence
agency] on more than one case."
Clinton, who described the case as "bizarre" warned
Barak: "It's best that we not say much about that." "Okay,
I'm not mentioning it any place," Barak said. (The word
"gap" is typically used when note-takers cannot make out
a garbled word or sentence).
In their third conversation on January 19, transcripts
show the two leaders spoke by phone for 22 minutes,
between 2:47 p.m. and 3:09 p.m., and that it was Clinton
and not Barak who raised the Rich matter that afternoon.
"I'm trying to do something on clemency for Rich, but it is
very difficult," Clinton said. "Might it move forward?"
Barak asked. The president ruminated about the
problems he was facing.
"I'm working on that, but I'm not sure. There's nothing
illegal about it, but there's no precedent. He was
overseas when he was indicted and never came home."
Clinton concluded that the question "is not whether he
should get it or not, but whether he should get it without
coming back here. That's the dilemma I'm working
through."
newsmax.com
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