Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers: A Record of Public Deception

On June 13 1971, governmental accountability and the American people's faith in their government was lost as the New York Times published the "top secret - sensitive" Pentagon Papers. Commissioned by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and written by Daniel Ellsberg, this 7 000-page document outlines the American Involvement in Vietnam from the 1940's to the late 1960's. It included specific details on everything from the CIA's involvement in the early 1950's up to Nixon and Kissinger's discussions on using nuclear weapons during the later stages of the war. This paper will outline expert op…