Politics on the Hudson

Daniel Ellsberg, a Vietnam-era American military analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers, kicks off the Maryknoll Speaker Series in Ossining tonight.

The title of Ellsberg’s talk: “Avoiding The Next War: A Call For Civic Courage.”

Recent news reports claim the Bush administration has contingency plans for a large-scale assault on Iran employing conventional and tactical nuclear weapons to bring about a regime change in Iran.

Ellsberg has publicly called on administration, defense and intelligence insiders to leak documents that would show the American people the implications of these plans and prevent a new war he says would compound the mistakes of Iraq with even more devastating results.

Ellsberg set off a national uproar in 1971 when he leaked documents showing the American people had been deceived about Vietnam. Then president Richard Nixon created a clandestine force to retaliate. The “plumbers” break-in contributed to Nixon’s downfall. Ellsberg’s “whistle blowing” is credited with helping eventually end the Vietnam War.

These days Ellsberg says if he had it to do over again, he would have released the documents in 1964 to prevent the war and loss of American and Vietnamese lives.

Ellsberg will speak tonight at 7 p.m. at Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Main Building, 55 Ryder Road in Ossining. The event is free and open to the public.

 
 

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