There are a great many people who have long contended that the U.S. Government had advance knowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor before it happened.
There are people who dispute the theory and often try discredit it despite documented evidence.
"A memo released to the public in 2011, sent to Roosevelt three days before the 1941 attack, included warnings from naval intelligence that Tokyo was focused on Hawaii.
The declassified file included warnings from the Office of Naval Intelligence sent on December 4 that read in part, "In anticipation of open conflict with this country, Japan is vigorously utilizing every available agency to secure military, naval and commercial information, paying particular attention to the West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii."
Additionally, diary entries by then-Secretary of War Henry Stimson reveal that he had a meeting with Roosevelt just ten days before the attack in which FDR pondered how to maneuver the Japanese into firing the first shot. Years later, Stimson revealed that the commanders at Pearl Harbor had been warned of the possibility of attack, and that he was surprised at how unprepared they were . . ."
Something to consider for the late night, as time goes on it becomes less important either way given that most people have forgotten the significance of the so-called "date that will live in Infamy" but really doesn't.
On December 7th, 1941, my father was stationed at Schofield Barracks with one week to go on his enlistment. He was there at the time of the attack. He went on to serve at Midway, Leyte Gulf, Savo Island, Coral Sea and several other engagements.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if he ever thought that we knew in advance of the coming attack, he never said anything. I have read a few things about this theory. Probably, a screw up and people trying to cover their asses after the fact.
The Commander at Pearl DID believe that Roosevelt knew.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/commander-at-pearl-harbor-canned
Another and another never forget. I see a theme here.
ReplyDeletePearl Harbor Was Probably An Inside Job?
ReplyDeleteWell, historians now know that the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was "an inside job" in the same sense that the attacks of Sept 11, 2001 were an "inside job."
By "inside job" we mean at a minimum that the highest level of government was fully aware that an attack was imminent on the target. Many are convinced beyond the coordinated "stand-down" and believe that government conspired from the planning stages through execution.
How many Americans are aware that as part of a training exercise prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a Navy admiral and his team successfully directed what would have been a lethal deathblow to the American fleet had it not been a training drill. He used bad weather and surprise tactics to his advantage. I believe it was just 1-2 years later that the Japanese would largely repeat his success by following the same plan. Some evidence indicates that the previous war exercise plans were purposely leaked to the Japanese military.
Bottomline, FDR got his excuse to drag a previously reluctant America into the war. GWBush used similar tactics with the 9/11 stand-down to rally America into a war which still continues to this day.
A new book entitled The Pearl Harbor Myth: Rethinking the Unthinkable by George Victor and published by Potomac Books Inc. of Washington, D.C. is well researched and gives a very clear picture of how and why the Pearl Harbor myth was created. This "patriotic political myth" states that the attack by the Japanese was unprovoked and was a surprise to the Roosevelt administration, as well as, the key military personnel in Washington; but the commanders of Pearl Harbor were at fault for not being ready. Based on a good summary of the up-to-date research the author, who is an approving admirer of Roosevelt, concludes that Roosevelt deliberately provoked the attack and that he and his key military and administrative advisers clearly knew, well in advance, that the Japanese were going to attack both Pearl Harbor and the Philippines. Roosevelt wanted to get into the European War but he had been unsuccessful in provoking Germany; therefore, he considered the sacrifice of Pearl Harbor and the Philippines as the best way to get into the European War through the back door of Japan. The cover-up of this strategy started immediately after the attack and continues to this day. The author concludes that this information of the coming attack was intentionally withheld from the military commanders because it was known that the Japanese were depending upon the element of surprise and if warnings had been sent to the commanders of Pearl Harbor and the Philippines, their preparation for the attack would have caused the Japanese to cancel their plans.
ReplyDeletePRETEXT On December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers attacked the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing about 2,460.
ReplyDeleteFDR, and his closest advisors, not only knew of the attack in advance and did not prevent it, they had actually provoked it. Lt. Arthur McCollum, head of the Far East desk for U.S. Navy intelligence, wrote a detailed eight-step plan on October 7, 1940 that was designed to provoke an attack. FDR immediately set the covert plan in motion. Soon after implementing the final step, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
After meeting FDR on October 16, 1941, Secretary of War Henry Stimson wrote: "We face the delicate question of the diplomatic fencing to be done so as to be sure Japan is put into the wrong and makes the first bad move -- overt move.” On November 25, after another meeting with FDR, Stimson wrote: "The question was: how we should maneuver them [the Japanese] into the position of firing the first shot.”
The next day, an insulting “ultimatum” was delivered to the Japanese. The US intercepted a coded Japanese cable calling the ultimatum a “humiliating proposal” and saying they would now prepare for war with the US.
The US had cracked Japanese diplomatic and military codes. A Top Secret Army Board report (October 1944), shows that the US military knew “the probable exact hour and date of the attack.” On November 29, 1941, the Secretary of State revealed to a reporter that the attack’s time and place was known. This foreknowledge was reported in the New York Times (Dec. 8, 1941).
RESPONSE After Pearl Harbor, the US quickly declared war against Japan. With media support, “Remember Pearl Harbor!” became an American rallying cry. On December 11, Germany and Italy declared war on the US.
As the war wound down, decoded messages revealed to the US military that Japan would soon surrender. They knew the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was unnecessary. Although nuclear weapons are commonly believed to have ended WWII, they were an opening salvo in the Cold War against the USSR.
REAL REASONS The US used WWII to maneuver itself into a position of superiority over former imperial rivals in Europe. In Parenti’s words the US “became the prime purveyor and guardian of global capitalism.” As the only nation wielding nuclear weapons, the US also became the world’s sole superpower.
Thanks jim.
ReplyDeleteStill got the Karl Marx book>
ReplyDeleteThe Committee For Public Information created fear of the Hun and then the Red. Walter Lippmann coined the term "Manufacturing Consent" Roosevelt greatest achievement was he saved Capitalism. I.F. Stone couldn't get a job. By the 70's there was no protection from the Corporate State. Faux Liberals like Bill Clinton served the Corporate state. NAFTA, Family Services, Deregulation of the FCC. Bush went on to assassinate public citizens. Sheldon Wooland spelled it out. Inverted Totalitarianism
ReplyDelete. The citizens are powerless. DO NOT OFFEND THE STATUS QUO. The power centers walked away from civic duty.
"Bush went on to assassinate public citizens."
ReplyDeleteSorry, you lost me on that one ...
5:12 was you Byron, you asshole!
ReplyDeleteDid the US know that war with Japan was immanent? Yes. And, since the reason was our oil embargo, we could sit pat and they could not. They had to attack or let their war effort grind to a halt -- and FDR understood that such an attack would rally the nation for war. "Remember The Maine!"
ReplyDeleteIt was expected that the attack would come on the Philippines. Like Russia in 1905, we woefully underestimated the Japanese military and its ability to strike hard and fast and far. (After all, they aren't even "white".) And -- tied to our battleships -- the US had little understanding of the use of aircraft carriers. Sure, Billy Mitchell predicted that "one fine Sunday morning" an enemy would fly over Oahu and attack -- but all that got him was court-marshaled.
No one seriously expected the extent of the destruction at Pearl Harbor, or any attack there. BUT...Had the Japanese just attacked the Philippines, our Pacific Fleet would have gone to the rescue -- and ended up at the bottom of the Pacific because it would have been commanded by officers who still thought that battleships ruled the seas.
Adm. Yamamoto understood that his attack strategy was tactically brilliant but strategically foolish -- sinking obsolete targets while arousing an America that would demand and obtain terrible retribution. His superiors -- just as convinced of Japanese superiority as we were of their inferiority -- paid him no attention on that.