The Pentagon Papers Go Public

It’s been 40 years since Daniel Ellsberg took his place in history as the whistle-blower who blew the lid off the American government’s shameful secrets about the Vietnam War by leaking the Pentagon Papers. On Monday, Americans can read those documents in full for the first time, courtesy of the National Archives, and though there may or may not be more surprises among their pages, their full release is significant in and of itself.

Click here to see the declassified report.  —KA

BBC News:

The National Archives will formally release all 7,000 pages on Monday.

President Richard Nixon’s attempts to block the publication led to a landmark court ruling that gave the media more power to investigate public officials.

The move to publish the so-called Pentagon Papers has caused a flurry of speculation over what may be left to discover about a war that divided the nation.

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AP

Daniel Ellsberg speaks to reporters outside the Federal Building in Los Angeles on Jan. 17, 1973. Behind him is co-defendant Anthony Russo.