Daniel Ellsberg In 2008: 'Most Covert Ops Deserve To Be Disclosed By Free Press'

[Hissyspit]

http://www.bradblog.com/?p=8214

By Brad Friedman on 11/28/2010 1:39pm  

In Wake of WikiLeaks Cable Release, JFK, Ellsberg's Remarks on 'Secrecy', 'Covert Ops' Worth Noting
JFK '61: 'Word 'secrecy' is repugnant in a free and open society'
Ellsberg '08: 'Most covert ops deserve to be disclosed by free press'

- snip -

Among the very first revelations to emerge, as quickly highlighted on Twitter via search hashtags #WikiLeaks and #CableGate are details on the U.S. having pleaded with Germany in 2007 to not prosecute CIA operatives who are said to have arrested and tortured terror suspects, Yemeni officials taking credit for bombings that were actually carried out in their country the U.S., Saudi officials encouraging U.S. to take action against Iran, as well as various, potentially embarrassing State Department assessments of world leaders in our allied countries. There will be much more to come.

You can review some of the coverage yourself at the UK Guardian, the New York Times, German's Der Spiegel, and Israel's Haaretz among many others to emerge over the next several hours and, indeed, days. The Nation's Greg Mitchell is live blogging the release, and rounding up many of the key links.

As this information becomes public, and as the U.S. Government continues to scramble to mitigate what the White House is calling today a "reckless and dangerous" leak, condemning it "in the strongest terms" as an alleged threat to national security, it's worth keeping in mind, for valuable perspective, what the 1970s legendary "Pentagon Papers" whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg wrote in an op/ed for The BRAD BLOG in early 2008...

Many, if not most, covert operations deserve to be disclosed by a free press. They are often covert not only because they are illegal but because they are wildly ill-conceived and reckless. "Sensitive" and "covert" are often synonyms for "half-assed," "idiotic," and "dangerous to national security," as well as "criminal."

As well, John F. Kennedy's April 1961 speech on what he described as this nation's abhorrence of secrecy, and the necessity of a free press --- as delivered to the American Newspaper Publishers Association at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York a year or so before his death --- is rather astonishing, and more than a bit ironic, in light of today's leaks and, as directly, the actions of the Executive Branch and its enablers in this country --- in Congress, in the mainstream media and in the public --- over the past dark decade. JFK's remarks include these thoughts among others that must be heard or read...

The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it.

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[jpgray]

1. I remember after the Pentagon Papers, no one believed the Executive Branch during a runup to war

Oh wait. The sad thing about those predicting some cataclysm from this release isn't that they're right, it's that they're wrong. The world's business will remain business as usual.

[JackRiddler]

5. Sadly that may be the truest thing said here.

However, review the history. The Pentagon Papers set off a long chain of events that probably helped end the Vietnam invasion and led to Watergate, the Church Committee, the Pike Committee, the House Subcomittee on Assassinations, the firing of 800 CIA covert operators by Carter, and a public distrust of imperialist adventures that the right-wing establishment decided was a disease: "Vietnam Syndrome." Unfortunately, the idea of noble war was gradually rehabilitated by "America Held Hostage," Reaganist yahoo patriotism, and a salami tactic of escalating campaigns (Grenada, Libya, Panama, Iraq).

[Autumn]

2. Daniel Ellsberg . The greatest American patriot in my

lifetime. K/R :kick:

"Many, if not most, covert operations deserve to be disclosed by a free press. They are often covert not only because they are illegal but because they are wildly ill-conceived and reckless. "Sensitive" and "covert" are often synonyms for "half-assed," "idiotic," and "dangerous to national security," as well as "criminal."

[ProSense]

3. Text book and great rhetoric

No one believes that governments can operate without some level of confidentiality. The world is not paradise, and there are people in it who would do others harm.

[Hardrada]

4. This will help to halt filthy imperialist international murder.

Fucking international capitalist scum all deserve re-education camps or dungeons with the key thrown away.

[Pavulon]

12. Really, maybe you can set those up. Look at cambodia.

stunning success there, just what you described.

[Hardrada]

13. You have a point. But no one said anything at all about Vernichtungslager.

Just about some long-delayed justice for the top miscreants.

[EFerrari]

6. I hope you're not attempting to call Daniel Ellsberg naive or idealistic.

Because he's neither. It's a safe bet that he knows "there are people in it who would do others harm" much more immediately than you or I will ever know.

[ProSense]

7. No, I'm

expressing my opinion, which is: "No one believes that governments can operate without some level of confidentiality. The world is not paradise, and there are people in it who would do others harm."

I can understand if you disagree.

"It's a safe bet that he knows 'there are people in it who would do others harm' much more immediately than you or I will ever know."

So you agree?

[EFerrari]

8. I couldn't disagree more that what he said was "textbook and great rhethoric"

given what he went through so you'd have the luxury of dismissing him out of hand.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gabi Hayes]

10. almost forgot. where are the neo-plumbers?

surely your respondent approves of groups like that, since this is the real world, and all.....

[Smarmie Doofus]

11. Rec..... Kick. n/t