Posted on 09/10/2004 10:19:43 PM PDT by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON — Daniel Ellsberg, the former Defense Department official who leaked the Pentagon Papers during the Vietnam War, is urging government insiders to provide similar classified documents about the invasion of Iraq.
Joined by other whistle-blowers and former government employees, Ellsberg said at a Sept. 9 news conference that claims of government deception and lies have “little credibility” unless supported by documentary evidence, which often is available only in classified materials.
The document that came to be called the Pentagon Papers was a 7,000-page study of U.S. decision-making in Vietnam that was classified “top secret.” Ellsberg leaked the study to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and later 19 different newspapers. The New York Times began publishing them in 1971. The publication added fuel to an already politically charged debate over U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia and set legal precedents for freedom of the press.
In a memo to current government employees, Ellsberg and other former government officials said federal insiders owe a “higher allegiance” to the Constitution, the public and American soldiers in Iraq than to their government bosses.
“A hundred forty-thousand Americans are risking their lives every day in Iraq for dubious purpose,” the memo said. “Our country has urgent need of comparable moral courage from its public officials. Truth-telling is a patriotic and effective way to serve the nation. The time for speaking out is now.”
The memo acknowledged that whistle-blowers risk personal setbacks, such as losing their jobs, but urged them to act nonetheless. “You may save many Americans from being lied to death,” it said.
Sibel Edmonds, who was fired by the FBI after she alleged security lapses in the agency’s translator program, said the government frequently over-classifies documents, including the investigation into her own case.
Among the documents claimed to be wrongly classified are sections of reports from Army investigations into prisoner abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, and supporting material for then-Army Gen. Eric Shinseki’s February 2003 estimate that several hundred thousand troops would have to stay in Iraq after the war.
Ellsberg was a special assistant to the assistant secretary of defense during the Vietnam War. He released the 7,000 page classified study to the Senate and 19 newspapers in 1971 and now leads the Truth Telling Project.
Heck, the rats could broadcast fake documents, or smuggle classified docs in their pants and get away with it.
Definitely. Treason it is.
Ellsberg is a despicable cowardly traiter.
Another lunatic heard from.
So how come the Swift Boat Vets were never praised by the Establishment Media as courageous whistle blowers?
I hope they do ....but use the same people that did the CBS memos. That would be really fun to watch.
I generally don't favor the death penalty, but this fellow should have been shot for treason a long time ago.
Things changed one day while most of us were asleep. There is no more treason. There is no crime of perjury. There is no such thing as an illegal alien. No crime is committed when a former national security advisor stuffs classified documents in his bloomers and CBS can report any damn thing they want.
I'm surprised the guy is still breathing
Ok.
I have just one question...
Is paul51 a Biblical reference then?
Once a traitor... always a traitor.
No, but that is such a good attempt, I'm going to add it to the list !
You Freepers are always tough nuts to crack!
You wrote:
'Things changed one day while most of us were asleep. There is no more treason. There is no crime of perjury. There is no such thing as an illegal alien. No crime is committed when a former national security advisor stuffs classified documents in his bloomers and CBS can report any damn thing they want.'
[Anti-despair torpedo ARMED. FIRE!]
No, things have changed over time while the Liberals were
asleep. Kewwy & the Kool-Aids thought that all he'd have to do is talk out of both sides of his mouth--"See, I'm a war hero" to keep the right quiet, pull rank on Dubya by
decrying him as a child of privelege who dodged active duty, and on sites like DU appeal to the rabid anti-American liberals and re-create the 60's, complete with peace marches against an unpopular war.
But guess what. The 60's are over. No free love (AIDS), no Beatles, no free drugs, no draft to unite the youth
against the war, and finally, no Soviet Union:
no Communist party apparatchiks to coordinate protests and spend money to pay for protests.
Michael Moore and George Soros have proved to be but poor
substitutes.
Most important of all: the rest of America remembers
9-11, and sees continuing atrocities like those in Madrid
and Beslan. The war has come to US, and it is time for
Americans to defend their home. Instead of "Hell no, we won't go" the youth of America have VOLUNTEERED in droves.
The only question left, is when John Kewwy loses in a
landslide, will Teresa cut off his allowance?
Just saw your tagline.
To quote the comedy team Puke & Snot (try the Colorado Renaissance Festival, or the Maryland Renaissnace Festival):
"I think the fuzz just fell off your peaches!"
nice post, thanks
Wait a minute!
Isn't inciting a Federal crime... a federal crime?
Good Americans have always stood up when needed and I have no doubt they always will. Just as there have always been hangers-on who contribute nothing while expecting everything.
bttt
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