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The Pentagon Papers is the popular name for a 7,000-page top-secret United States government report about the history of the Government's internal planning and policy concerning the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia The documents became famous when State Department officer Daniel Ellsberg gave them to the The New York Times to publish in early 1971. Daniel Ellsberg (born April 7 1931 is a former American military Analyst employed by the RAND Corporation who precipitated a national political controversy Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.

Contents

Background

The Pentagon Papers ' true title is United States–Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense, a 47-volume, 7,000-page, top-secret Department of Defense history of the United States' politico-military involvement in the war in Vietnam, from 1945 to 1967. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara commissioned the study in 1967, and appointed Leslie Gelb (Pentagon international security affairs policy planning-arms control director) as study supervisor. The United States Secretary of Defense ( SECDEF) is the head of the U Robert Strange McNamara (born June 9 1916 in Oakland, California) is an American business executive and former United States Secretary of Defense Leslie (Les Howard Gelb (born March 4, 1937) is a former correspondent for The New York Times and is currently President Emeritus of the The Pentagon is the Headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. Gelb hired 36 military officers, civilian policy experts, and historians to write the study's monographs. The Pentagon Papers included 4,000 pages of actual documents from the 1945–67 period.

The leak

Daniel Ellsberg gave most of the Pentagon Papers to New York Times reporter Neil Sheehan, with Ellsberg's friend Anthony Russo assisting in their copying. Cornelius Mahoney "Neil" Sheehan (born October 27, 1936 in Holyoke Massachusetts) is an American Journalist. Anthony J "Tony" Russo Jr ( October 14, 1936 &ndash August 6, 2008) was an American researcher who assisted The NYT began publishing excerpts as an article-series on June 13. Events 1525 - Martin Luther marries Katharina von Bora, against the Celibacy rule decreed by the Roman Catholic Church for [1] Political controversy and lawsuits followed; on June 29, U.S. Senator Mike Gravel (Democrat, Alaska) entered 4,100 pages of the Papers to the record of his Subcommittee on Public Buildings and Grounds. Events 512 - A Solar eclipse is recorded by a monastic chronicler in Ireland. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel (grəˈvɛl (born May 13 1930 is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent These portions of the Papers were subsequently published by Beacon Press, the publishing arm of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association [2]

The importance of recording the Papers to the Congressional Record was that, Article I, Section 6 of the United States Constitution provides that "for any Speech or Debate in either House, [a Senator or Representative] shall not be questioned in any other Place", thus the Senator could not be prosecuted for anything said on the Senate floor, and, by extension, for anything entered to the Congressional Record, allowing the Papers to be publicly read without threat of a treason trial and conviction. The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. Article One of the United States Constitution describes the powers of the legislative branch of the United States government, known as Congress The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives In Law, treason is the Crime that covers some of the more serious acts of disloyalty to one's sovereign or Nation.

Later, Ellsberg said the documents "demonstrated unconstitutional behavior by a succession of presidents, the violation of their oath and the violation of the oath of every one of their subordinates", and that he had leaked the papers in the hopes of getting the nation out of "a wrongful war. "[1]

Impact of the 'Pentagon Papers'

The Pentagon Papers revealed many things, among them, that the US deliberately expanded its war with airstrikes against Laos, coastal raids of North Vietnam, and U.S. Marine Corps attacks — before President Lyndon B. Johnson informed the American public, though promising to not expand the war. Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN or less commonly Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa was a Country on the northern half of Vietnam The revelations widened the credibility gap between the U. Alternate use The Credibility Gap, name of a comedy team Credibility gap is a political term that came into wide use during the 1960s and 1970s S. government and the American people, hurting the Nixon administration's war effort.

Anthony Lewis comments in the law course taught by James Goodale (ex-NYT-house-counsel), Old Media, New Media, that the NYT was legally advised to not publish. Anthony Lewis (born March 27, 1927, New York City) is a prominent liberal intellectual writing for The New York Times op-ed James Goodale is the former General Counsel and Vice Chairman of The New York Times. Goodale counselled otherwise: the press had a First Amendment right to publish information significant to the people's understanding of their government's policy. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress Yet, President Richard Nixon argued that Ellsberg and Russo were guilty of felony treason (per the Espionage Act of 1917), because they had no authority to publish classified documents. In Common law legal systems a felony is a serious Crime, often contrasted with a Misdemeanor. The Espionage Act of 1917 was a United States federal law passed shortly after entering World War I on June 15 1917 which made it a Crime for a person

A credibility gap of which the NYT wrote was that a consensus to bomb North Vietnam had developed in the Johnson administration on September 7, 1964, before the U. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN or less commonly Vietnamese Democratic Republic (Việt Nam Dân Chủ Cộng Hòa was a Country on the northern half of Vietnam Events 1251 BC - A Solar eclipse on this date might mark the birth of legendary Heracles at Thebes Greece. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. S. presidential elections,[3] however, per the Papers, none of the consensus actions recommended on September 7 involved bombing North Vietnam. [4] On June 14, 1971, the NYT said the Johnson administration began last plans for the bombing in November. Events 1276 - While taking exile in Fuzhou in southern China, away from the advancing Mongol invaders, the remnants of the Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.

Another controversy was that President Johnson sent combat troops to Vietnam by July 17, 1965, after pretending to consult his advisors on July 21–27, per the cable stating that Deputy Secretary of Defense Cyrus Vance informs McNamara that President had approved 34 Battalion Plan and will try to push through reserve call-up. Events 180 - Twelve inhabitants of Scillium in North Africa are executed for being Christians Year 1965 ( MCMLXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1965 Gregorian calendar. Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. The United States Deputy Secretary of Defense is the second-highest ranking official in the United States Department of Defense. Cyrus Roberts Vance ( Clarksburg West Virginia, March 27, 1917 &ndash January 12, 2002) was the United States Secretary of State The Reserve Components of the United States Department of Defense and United States Department of Homeland Security (in the case of the United States Coast Guard [5] In 1988, when that cable was declassified, it revealed: there was a continuing uncertainty as to [Johnson's] final decision, which would have to await Secretary McNamara's recommendation and the views of Congressional leaders, particularly the views of Senator [Richard] Russell. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Richard Brevard Russell Jr ( November 2, 1897 – January 21, 1971) was an American Democratic Party politician who [6]

U. S. Government's reaction

The New York Times' publication of the Pentagon Papers article-series angered President Nixon; he told National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger: people have gotta be put to the torch for this sort of thing . The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Adviser (abbreviated NSA, or sometimes ANSA Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger on May 27, 1923) is a German -born American bureaucrat diplomat and 1973 . . and let's get the son-of-a-bitch in jail. [7] After failing to persuade the NYT to voluntarily cease publication, U.S. Attorney General John N. Mitchell and President Nixon obtained a federal court injunction forcing the NYT to cease publication. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement John Newton Mitchell (September 1913 &ndash November 9, 1988) was the first United States Attorney General ever to be convicted of illegal activities and The newspaper appealed the injunction, and the case quickly rose through the U. S. legal system to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary.

On June 18, 1971, the Washington Post began publishing its own series of articles based upon the Pentagon Papers; Ellsberg gave portions to editor Ben Bagdikian. Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. The Washington Post is the largest and most circulated Newspaper in Washington D Ben Haig Bagdikian (born 1920 Maraş, Ottoman Empire; now in Turkey) is an American Educator and Journalist That day, Assistant U. S. Attorney General William Rehnquist asked the Washington Post to cease publication; they refused; Rehnquist sought an injunction; the U. William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1 1924 – September 3 2005 was an American lawyer, jurist, and a political figure who served as an Associate Justice S. district court refused him; the Government appealed the refusal.

On June 26, the Supreme Court agreed to hear both cases, consolidating to the 'New York Times Co. v. United States' (403 US 713). Events 363 - Roman Emperor Julian is killed during the retreat from the Sassanid Empire. New York Times Co v United States, 403 US 713 ( 1971) was a United States Supreme Court Per curiam decision [8] On June 30, 1971, the U. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar. S. Supreme Court decided, 6–3, that the injunctions were unconstitutional prior restraint and that the Government failed to meet the heavy burden of proof required for prior restraint injunction. Prior restraint is a Legal term referring to a Government 's actions that prevent materials from being published Burden of proof (onus probandi is the obligation to prove Allegations which are presented in a Legal action. The nine justices wrote nine opinions disagreeing on significant, substantive matters; while generally a victory for First Amendment free speech absolutists, others felt it a mild legal victory of little protection for publishers against national security claims to prior restraint of publishing. National security is the entire scope of measures undertaken by the Governments of Nation-states in providing assurance of national Sovereignty

Thomas Tedford and Dale Herbeck summary of the editorial and publishing reaction of the time:

As the press rooms of the Times and the Post began to hum to the lifting of the censorship order, the journalists of America pondered with grave concern the fact that for fifteen days the 'free press' of the nation had been prevented from publishing an important document and for their troubles had been given an inconclusive and uninspiring 'burden-of-proof' decision by a sharply divided Supreme Court. There was relief, but no great rejoicing, in the editorial offices of America's publishers and broadcasters.

—Tedford and Herbeck, pp. 225–6[9]

Movie

Bibliography

References

  1. ^ INTRODUCTION TO THE COURT OPINION ON THE NEW YORK TIMES CO. V. UNITED STATES CASE. Retrieved on 2005-12-05. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations.
  2. ^ The Pentagon Papers, Senator Mike Gravel edition, Beacon Press.
  3. ^ Edward Jay Epstein, Between Fact and Fiction (New York: Vintage, 1975) p. 82
  4. ^ Mtholyoke.
  5. ^ Mtholyoke.
  6. ^ John Burke and Fred Greenstein, How Presidents Test Reality: Decisions on Vietnam, 1954 and 1965 (1989) p. 215 n. 30.
  7. ^ The Pentagon Papers Case. Retrieved on 2005-12-05. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations.
  8. ^ New York Times Co. v. United States, 403 U.S. 713 (1971). Retrieved on 2005-12-05. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations.
  9. ^ Tedford & Herbeck, Freedom of Speech in the United States, 5 ed.. Retrieved on 2005-12-05. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations.

External links

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