Which of the following statements accurately describes the Pentagon Papers?
A) They revealed a shocking waste in military spending on the part of the federal government, which mostly had not been directed toward the Vietnam War at all.
B) They were successfully suppressed from publication by the government and only came to light decades later during the 2000s when Nixon deemed enough time had elapsed.
C) They put President Johnson's war policy in a more favorable light, revealing the true threats Americans had faced as he decided to declare war.
D) They were first published by the government despite warnings from journalists that their source was unable to be verified, making them potentially untruthful.
E) They revealed that the Johnson administration had deceived the public in regard to war policy, having never given them the full story on the Gulf of Tonkin incident of 1964.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Pentagon Papers were leaked by military analyst Daniel Ellsberg in 1971 and revealed that the Johnson administration had not been truthful with the public about the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which led to escalated involvement in the Vietnam War. The papers also showed that the government had planned to escalate the war despite public assurances to the contrary. The publication led to a public outcry and further skepticism about government transparency and honesty.

Which of the Following Statements Accurately Describes the Pentagon Papers