Scandal Raises Security Issue

• Were national security matters overlooked in the scandal of a friend of President Bill Clinton buried in Arlington National Cemetery?

As the nation focuses its attention on the case of the late U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland Larry Lawrence being buried at Arlington National Cemetery, what is ignored is how America's national security interests were compromised by the FBI, according to a retired Air Force intelligence officer.

A mandatory FBI background check of Lawrence that was supposed to be made in 1993, when he was nominated by Clinton for the ambassadorship apparently wasn't made.

Such a check, as required in order for Lawrence to receive the necessary top secret security clearance that an ambassador must have, would have delved into the then-nominee's military history. The FBI would have quickly discovered the record was bogus.

The retired officer posed these questions:

* Did the White House ask the FBI to "stand down" on its investigation of Lawrence because he was a massive contributor to the Democratic National Committee and to the 1992 Clinton-Gore election campaign?

* Did the FBI fail to report to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee its discovery of the forged military record because Lawrence was one of the now infamous and growing list of "Friends of Bill?"

* Was the State Department really unaware of the fake military history of Lawrence when it urged Army Secretary of Defense Togo West -- now nominated by Clinton to head the Department of Veterans Affairs -- to overrule a decision by officials at Arlington not to issue a waiver allowing the burial?

If the FBI or the State Department at the request of the White House demanded that this "Friend of Bill" be buried in Arlington, then a whole list of serious crimes are involved. These demand passage of an inquiry of impeachment against Clinton.

According to facts that have surfaced in the Lawrence matter, he ordered an aide to research U.S. Merchant Marine records of WWII to find a suitable ship; he chose the SS Horace Bushnell.

Then Lawrence claimed he was a member of the Merchant Marine, had served on this vessel, and had received serious wounds when thrown overboard when the shop was struck by a torpedo from a German submarine in March 1945.

According to the Associated Press, White House sources said they are "exploring the possibility Lawrence used a different name in the Merchant Marine to hide his Jewish heritage in case of German capture."

According to a number of witnesses, it was no secret in California, where the ambassador lived, that he had faked a military war record after the war.

After the faked military history of the ambassador had been revealed in the media, Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala.), Chairman of the House Sub-committee on Oversight and Investigations, turned up the heat.

Everett released a series of government documents which indicated that Lawrence's service record was bogus.

It has been revealed that Lawrence gave a total of $10 million over the years to Democrats.

It has also been revealed that in addition to being wrongfully buried at Arlington, the 'Friend of Bill" was also one of the "Democrat fat cats" given overnight accommodations by Clinton in the Lincoln bedroom at the White House.