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11-16-2005, 09:36 AM
Vietnam War Critic Warns of Similarities
Associated Press | November 14, 2005
MAPLEWOOD, New Jersey - The man who leaked secret documents about the Vietnam war indicating the federal government had deceived the public said he sees a lot of similarities between that war and the one being waged in Iraq.
Daniel Ellsberg, who became famous for his release of what became known as the "Pentagon Papers," spoke to a crowd of more than 400 people Saturday at a local high school.
In 1971, Ellsberg, who had worked at both the U.S. State Departments and Pentagon, leaked 7,000 pages of classified documents to the press - documents that detailed U.S. involvement in Vietnam and indicated that the government had deceived the public about whether the war could be won and the extent of casualties.
Ellsberg was put on trial on 12 felony counts that could have earned him 115 years in prison for releasing the top secret documents. The charges where dismissed in 1973 on grounds of governmental misconduct against him, but led to the convictions of several White House aides and figured into the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon.
During Saturday's talk, Ellsberg said both the Vietnam war and the war in Iraq were based on lies, referring to the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Ellsberg also sent out a special message to federal employees, urging them to speak up now about possible government misconduct they witness relating to the Iraq war.
The author of the 2002 book "Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers" also rallied peace activists to stay vigilant in their cause, and urged the crowd to remain active to see that the U.S. does not invade more countries such as Iran and Syria.
Ellsberg criticized the media for its coverage of the war in Iraq, particularly for not keeping tabs of the Iraqi casualties since the conflict began two years ago. Just focusing on the lost American lives is not enough, he said.
New Jersey Peace Action president, Madelyn Hoffman, whose group sponsored Ellsberg's lecture, said she hoped the event would inspire and motivate others to realize that the 74-year-old war critic is speaking the truth about the U.S. government.
"People who are trying to speak out (against the war) are branded as traitorous or a threat to national security," Hoffman said. "We are the ones who care most about this country, its security, its role in the world and its responsibilities at home."
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press (http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,80321,00.html?ESRC=army.nl). All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Associated Press | November 14, 2005
MAPLEWOOD, New Jersey - The man who leaked secret documents about the Vietnam war indicating the federal government had deceived the public said he sees a lot of similarities between that war and the one being waged in Iraq.
Daniel Ellsberg, who became famous for his release of what became known as the "Pentagon Papers," spoke to a crowd of more than 400 people Saturday at a local high school.
In 1971, Ellsberg, who had worked at both the U.S. State Departments and Pentagon, leaked 7,000 pages of classified documents to the press - documents that detailed U.S. involvement in Vietnam and indicated that the government had deceived the public about whether the war could be won and the extent of casualties.
Ellsberg was put on trial on 12 felony counts that could have earned him 115 years in prison for releasing the top secret documents. The charges where dismissed in 1973 on grounds of governmental misconduct against him, but led to the convictions of several White House aides and figured into the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon.
During Saturday's talk, Ellsberg said both the Vietnam war and the war in Iraq were based on lies, referring to the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
Ellsberg also sent out a special message to federal employees, urging them to speak up now about possible government misconduct they witness relating to the Iraq war.
The author of the 2002 book "Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers" also rallied peace activists to stay vigilant in their cause, and urged the crowd to remain active to see that the U.S. does not invade more countries such as Iran and Syria.
Ellsberg criticized the media for its coverage of the war in Iraq, particularly for not keeping tabs of the Iraqi casualties since the conflict began two years ago. Just focusing on the lost American lives is not enough, he said.
New Jersey Peace Action president, Madelyn Hoffman, whose group sponsored Ellsberg's lecture, said she hoped the event would inspire and motivate others to realize that the 74-year-old war critic is speaking the truth about the U.S. government.
"People who are trying to speak out (against the war) are branded as traitorous or a threat to national security," Hoffman said. "We are the ones who care most about this country, its security, its role in the world and its responsibilities at home."
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press (http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,80321,00.html?ESRC=army.nl). All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.