Pentagon Papers

Pentagon Papers. The United States Department of Defense commissioned a secret study, led by Robert S. McNamara, Leslie H. Gelb, and Paul Warnke, to examine the Vietnam War. This study, which became known as the Pentagon Papers, was a comprehensive and classified report that revealed the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War from 1945 to 1967, including the Gulf of Tonkin incident and the Tet Offensive. The report was based on documents from the National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, and Department of State, and included contributions from Daniel Ellsberg, Anthony Russo, and other RAND Corporation analysts, such as Hermann Kahn and Albert Wohlstetter.

Introduction

The Pentagon Papers were a culmination of efforts by Robert S. McNamara and his team to understand the United States' role in the Vietnam War, which involved South Vietnam, North Vietnam, and the Viet Cong. The study was initiated in 1967, during the presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson, and was completed in 1969, under the presidency of Richard Nixon. The report was classified Top Secret and was only accessible to high-ranking officials, including Henry Kissinger and Melvin Laird. The Pentagon Papers were also reviewed by William Bundy, McGeorge Bundy, and other members of the National Security Council.

History

The United States' involvement in the Vietnam War began in the early 1950s, during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, with the provision of economic and military aid to South Vietnam. The Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, which involved the USS Maddox and the USS Turner Joy, led to the passage of the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to take military action in Southeast Asia. The Tet Offensive in 1968, which was launched by the North Vietnamese Army and the Viet Cong, marked a turning point in the war, as it showed that the United States was not winning the war, despite the claims of General William Westmoreland and other military leaders. The Pentagon Papers revealed that the United States had been involved in a secret bombing campaign in Laos and Cambodia, which was authorized by President Richard Nixon and carried out by the United States Air Force.

Content

The Pentagon Papers consisted of 47 volumes of documents, including memos, cables, and reports from the National Security Council, Central Intelligence Agency, and Department of State. The report revealed that the United States had been lying to the public about the Vietnam War, including the number of troops deployed, the number of casualties, and the progress of the war. The report also showed that the United States had been involved in a series of covert operations, including the Operation Rolling Thunder bombing campaign and the Operation Menu bombing campaign, which targeted North Vietnam and Cambodia. The Pentagon Papers also included documents from the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the United States Army, including reports from General Creighton Abrams and General Bruce Palmer Jr..

Release and Publication

In 1971, Daniel Ellsberg, a former RAND Corporation analyst, leaked the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times, which published a series of articles based on the report. The publication of the Pentagon Papers caused a sensation, as it revealed the United States' secret involvement in the Vietnam War and the lies that had been told to the public. The Nixon administration tried to stop the publication of the report, but the Supreme Court ruled in New York Times Co. v. United States that the publication of the report was protected by the First Amendment. The Pentagon Papers were also published by The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and other newspapers, including the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune.

Impact and Aftermath

The publication of the Pentagon Papers had a significant impact on the Vietnam War and the Nixon administration. The report revealed the United States' secret involvement in the war and the lies that had been told to the public, which led to widespread protests and demonstrations against the war. The report also led to the resignation of Richard Nixon in 1974, after the Watergate scandal revealed that the Nixon administration had been involved in a cover-up of the Pentagon Papers leak. The Pentagon Papers also had an impact on the Central Intelligence Agency, which was criticized for its role in the Vietnam War and the Iran-Contra affair. The Pentagon Papers were also studied by Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and other National Security Advisers, who used the report to inform their decisions on foreign policy.

Legacy

The Pentagon Papers are considered one of the most significant documents in United States history, as they revealed the United States' secret involvement in the Vietnam War and the lies that had been told to the public. The report has been studied by historians, including Stanley Karnow and George Herring, and has been the subject of numerous books and films, including The Most Dangerous Man in America and The Pentagon Papers (film). The Pentagon Papers have also been recognized as a landmark case in the history of freedom of the press, as they demonstrated the importance of a free press in holding the government accountable for its actions. The Pentagon Papers are now available at the National Archives and Records Administration and the Library of Congress, and have been digitized by the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Category:United States history