Daniel Ellsberg: Secrets - Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers 

What "truth" do you believe in? This entire set up is absolute garbage.

While what you say about the fragility of truth is true, you owe it to yourself to read "Will the Real Daniel Ellesberg Please Stand Up" by Douglas Valentine. Ellesberg was a CIA agent whose job it was to deflect blame from the CIA for all the early war year failures, and put it on the military, who bore the brunt of the later war years.

Col. J Fletcher Prouty was in it up to his eyeballs until he retired 1963 > "the Pentagon Papers were a compilation of documents designed to paint President John F. Kennedy as the villain of the story [that fdr ike jfk backed the french/cia covert invasions of Indochina] , and to shield the role of the CIA…. This massive compilation of official documents produced by Secretary McNamara’s “task force…to study the history of United States involvement in Vietnam from World War II to the present” (1969) totally ignored the assassination [of President Kennedy]. The Pentagon Papers say simply, “Lodge confers with the President,” as though it were just another day in the life of a President. Which President? Didn’t that matter? What a way to dismiss Kennedy and his tragic death! This entire section of the Pentagon Papers, which were commissioned to be a complete account of the history of the Vietnam war period, cannot find a word to say about that assassination. This official history simply skips all mention of the death of the President of the United States and tells the story of the death of Diem as though it had occurred in a vacuum." See L. Fletcher Prouty, JFK The CIA, Vietnam, and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy (Birch Lane Press, 1992, First Edition), pages 272 - 283.

@@nathanhoag5561 You best be getting your heels together when you ask that question. And if you don't know what that means then you don't deserve the freedom the OP gave up so you could ask.

I would also include Chelsea Manning in that conversation.

I suggest Chalmer Johnson's "empire trilogy".

We need Trump back asap

Super smart. It is obvious how clueless people are by the number of folks that replied. So you know...i hear you and could not agree more.

Also Paul Nitze psc66..all lies to scare people to support war....over and over

We were going to go to war anyhow.

It's all about US business interests and GREED.

@@joeblow5087. It always is about the money. Follow the money.

Maybe the last time we are seeing integrity in the press.

What a beautiful opportunity and privilege that must’ve been. I cannot believe I was here at that time and had no idea this was happening or I would’ve been there with bells on.

1983.. Someone gave me map of Vandenberg Airforce base. It had an X over the MX missle. Guards thought I was a leader. When arrested, I was privileged to be in a private room with Daniel Ellsberg.

+Texas Hi-Railer Well said and I totally agree with you. When WWII began most Americans did not want any involvement. In 1941, after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, FDR was the last President to ask congress to declare war. Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, Iraq: technically, those were not wars. Those conflicts, and other in between, are considered “Extended Military Engagements.” President Obama too has been selective about the way he uses the word “war” in the build-up to today’s situation with the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS). Now no one cares who our military or mercenaries kill. I never have understood why congress by passing the Tonkin Gulf resolution gave the President the right to attack anyone, removing constitutional restraints on his power. But now Americans are surprised when people we arrack dislike or attack us, when we believe we are giving them a fake democracy to control them.

L. Fletcher Prouty's THE SECRET TEAM.

Never forget, Daniel Ellsberg worked for General Edward G. Lansdale, the black arts specialist in coups & assassinations.

"The commander of the Gulf of Tonkin incident" I thought there was no such incident.

@@psilvakimo A real attack on August 2, while the second attack on August 4 likely never occurred. What I never learned in college (could be on me) was that the second attack was considered doubtful right away rather than years later. There is even a recording of LBJ acknowledging this.

Like John Wayne, Rush Limbaugh, Trump--"chicken hawks," all.. I don't know who originated this, but there is an old saying that "all wars are popular for the first six months."

@@viktoriaironpride4977 Lyndon Johnson, Bill Clinton, Joe Biden, Robert Mcnamara.... Ect It's a bipartisan thing. I was going ho as a young man and joined the army. I thought protesters were traitors. It wasn't until I actually researched this BS that I came around. Vietnam and Iraq were criminal.

No one remembers Under secretary of State Paul Wolfowitz' roll in involving us in Iraq. He was the first to loudly advocate this just after 9-11. Guess what position he took just after leaving the Bush administration? President of the IMF. Robert S. McNamara's disastrous engagement policies prolonged the Vietnam war, making the banksters richer. Guess what position he took after he left the LBJ administration? President of the World Bank!

Anything the government says, I automatically assume it's a lie. I pity the fool who believes them

Small potatoes as compared with Nick Turse's expose.

Col. Prouty > "the Pentagon Papers were a compilation of documents designed to paint President John F. Kennedy as the villain of the story [that fdr ike jfk backed the french/cia covert invasions of Indochina] , and to shield the role of the CIA…. This massive compilation of official documents produced by Secretary McNamara’s “task force…to study the history of United States involvement in Vietnam from World War II to the present” (1969) totally ignored the assassination [of President Kennedy]. The Pentagon Papers say simply, “Lodge confers with the President,” as though it were just another day in the life of a President. Which President? Didn’t that matter? What a way to dismiss Kennedy and his tragic death! This entire section of the Pentagon Papers, which were commissioned to be a complete account of the history of the Vietnam war period, cannot find a word to say about that assassination. This official history simply skips all mention of the death of the President of the United States and tells the story of the death of Diem as though it had occurred in a vacuum." See L. Fletcher Prouty, JFK The CIA, Vietnam, and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy (Birch Lane Press, 1992, First Edition), pages 272 - 283.

Where did you hear that stuff about kennedy? He was for derscalation and a political solution in vietnam. Ellsberg is talking about 1964 and president Johnson. He and nixon send in the military bases on lies... Did you even watch the talk?

@@NewPipeFTWJFK gave no hint he would withdraw our guys from Vietnam at least not publicly.

@@tunafish8769 JFK gave an interview with Walter Cronkite. In it he said that the war is not going well and that while we can arm the South, and train them, that it is their (South Vietnam's) war and *they* have to win it. While we can never be sure, JFK did push against military pressure in other areas such as whether or not to invade Cuba (a theater where JFK had been burned by poor military advice and from which he also learned).

Prouty > "the Pentagon Papers were a compilation of documents designed to paint President John F. Kennedy as the villain of the story [that fdr ike jfk backed the french/cia covert invasions of Indochina] , and to shield the role of the CIA…. This massive compilation of official documents produced by Secretary McNamara’s “task force…to study the history of United States involvement in Vietnam from World War II to the present” (1969) totally ignored the assassination [of President Kennedy]. The Pentagon Papers say simply, “Lodge confers with the President,” as though it were just another day in the life of a President. Which President? Didn’t that matter? What a way to dismiss Kennedy and his tragic death! This entire section of the Pentagon Papers, which were commissioned to be a complete account of the history of the Vietnam war period, cannot find a word to say about that assassination. This official history simply skips all mention of the death of the President of the United States and tells the story of the death of Diem as though it had occurred in a vacuum." See L. Fletcher Prouty, JFK The CIA, Vietnam, and the Plot to Assassinate John F. Kennedy (Birch Lane Press, 1992, First Edition), pages 272 - 283.

Not "Erik" Edward Snowden.

Because the US has to hold on to it's dominant status are our enemies will

Vietnamese people welcomed Americans today.

"New?"

Assange was about to be arrested by the Swedish government for some phony sex charge and not the release of information. Remember too he also was crossing the Clintons. Ellsberg never faced any such death sentence and he had a very compliant media protecting him. FDR has also been exposed for his complicity in Pearl Harbor by reputable historians. Thomas Dewey was going to expose FDR during the 1944 presidential campaign, but was persuaded not to or it would have a bad affect on the moral of our troops. Dewey rightfully withdrew the issue.

America's ugly face made him run away

So how is that relevant or in line with the US consitution if the policy makers lie to congress and the public to start a war? If the war is based on a lie and you invade a foraign nation thats indeed a case for the UN.

"blindly led into," indicates you can't see the forest for the trees. We are left with a legacy of mistakes from our parents, grandparents etc. that we have been left to uncover and clean up. Likening international politics to some sort of parent child interaction is reductionist (lazy at best and ignorant at worst). Stick with pop culture and fashion sites, as you have no place in politics or international policy discussions

What?? That made zero sense.

The Bible contains more lies than truth.

just read the Old Testament. Best book ever. But its not there for most people.

Do you mean preventing the war? The Iraq war started in March 2003.

That's a lie. Ellsberg has more brains and guts than you will ever dream of having.