Espionage
Espionage
Posted on Jun 7, 2021
Daniel Ellsberg: The 90-year-old whistleblower tempting prosecution
825
10
3
7
7
0
A tedious but consequential task kept Daniel Ellsberg busy for weeks from the end of 1969.
One by one, he photocopied thousands of top-secret documents that he hoped would end a long and costly conflict.
Known as the Pentagon Papers, the documents were part of a classified study that showed the extent of American involvement in the Vietnam War.
Mr Ellsberg famously leaked the study to newspapers in 1971 before facing espionage charges that were ultimately dismissed.
While the Pentagon Papers left a lasting legacy, they weren't the only documents Mr Ellsberg got his hands on.
At the same time, Mr Ellsberg copied another classified study that showed how seriously American military chiefs took the threat of nuclear war during the Taiwan crisis of 1958.
One by one, he photocopied thousands of top-secret documents that he hoped would end a long and costly conflict.
Known as the Pentagon Papers, the documents were part of a classified study that showed the extent of American involvement in the Vietnam War.
Mr Ellsberg famously leaked the study to newspapers in 1971 before facing espionage charges that were ultimately dismissed.
While the Pentagon Papers left a lasting legacy, they weren't the only documents Mr Ellsberg got his hands on.
At the same time, Mr Ellsberg copied another classified study that showed how seriously American military chiefs took the threat of nuclear war during the Taiwan crisis of 1958.
Daniel Ellsberg: The 90-year-old whistleblower tempting prosecution
Posted from bbc.com
Pentagon
Vietnam War
Espionage
Nuclear
Taiwan
Posted 3 y ago
Responses: 3
4
4
0
1
1
0
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
For 50 years, the study went virtually unnoticed until 2017, when Mr Ellsberg published the full document online, which was highlighted by the New York Times newspaper last month.
In theory, Mr Ellsberg's disclosure could put him at risk of prosecution on the same charges he faced for leaking the Pentagon Papers.
Now aged 90, Mr Ellsberg says he is not intimidated by the possibility of prison. In an interview with the BBC, he explained why.
For decades, Mr Ellsberg has been a tireless critic of government overreach and military interventions. His opposition crystallised during the 1960s, when he advised the White House on nuclear strategy and assessed the Vietnam War for the Department of Defense.
What Mr Ellsberg learned during that period weighed heavily on his conscience. If only the public knew, he thought, political pressure to end the war might prove irresistible.
The release of the Pentagon Papers was a product of that rationale, which underpins Mr Ellsberg's latest disclosure, albeit in a different context.
For 50 years, the study went virtually unnoticed until 2017, when Mr Ellsberg published the full document online, which was highlighted by the New York Times newspaper last month.
In theory, Mr Ellsberg's disclosure could put him at risk of prosecution on the same charges he faced for leaking the Pentagon Papers.
Now aged 90, Mr Ellsberg says he is not intimidated by the possibility of prison. In an interview with the BBC, he explained why.
For decades, Mr Ellsberg has been a tireless critic of government overreach and military interventions. His opposition crystallised during the 1960s, when he advised the White House on nuclear strategy and assessed the Vietnam War for the Department of Defense.
What Mr Ellsberg learned during that period weighed heavily on his conscience. If only the public knew, he thought, political pressure to end the war might prove irresistible.
The release of the Pentagon Papers was a product of that rationale, which underpins Mr Ellsberg's latest disclosure, albeit in a different context.
(1)
(0)
0
0
0
The idea of nuclear war over Quemoy and Matsu is ridiculous. Scares me that they even considered it
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google