Do Freedom of Information Act Files Prove FDR Had Foreknowledge of Pearl Harbor?

Independent Institute ^

[Irontank]

For those who've not read it...I highly recommend Day of Deceit...Robert Stinnett's book on this subject

Day of Deceit

[Semper Paratus]

Can't say that the pre-war intelligence was wrong here.

[peyton randolph]

Of course. And Bush and the Israelis had advance notice of 9/11. /sarc

This is DUmmy Moonbat stuff.

[atomicpossum]

What was Halliburton's role in this?

[rellimpank]

-b-

[massgopguy]

After reading intensively on "Magic" and "Purple" I can only surmise that FDR was the stupidest President in history.

[ErnBatavia]

Part of the November 25 message read: “…the task force, keeping its movements strictly secret and maintaining close guard against submarines and aircraft, shall advance into Hawaiian waters, and upon the very opening of hostilities shall attack the main force of the United States fleet in Hawaii and deal it a mortal blow…”

Does sound sort of Al Jazeerish, doesn't it?

[Irontank]

This is DUmmy Moonbat stuff.

That's what I thought at one time...but Stinnett uncovered some amazing facts that changed my opinion...and its worth noting that Stinnett is of the opinion that FDR was justified in provoking Pearl Harbor

[PeterPrinciple]

You write that in late November 1941 an order was sent out to all US military commanders that stated: “The United States desires that Japan commit the first overt act.” According to Secretary of War Stimson, the order came directly from President Roosevelt. Was FDR’s cabinet on record for supporting this policy of provoking Japan to commit the first overt act of war?


I interpet that to mean: we aren't going to start it but if they do, we better be ready

[brothers4thID]

"Ultimately, General George Marshall, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, persuaded Dewey not to make the speeches. Japan’s naval leaders did not realize America had cracked their codes, and Dewey’s speeches could have sacrificed America’s code-breaking advantage. So, Dewey said nothing, and in November FDR was elected president for the fourth time. "

I question this line of reasoning. The Jappanese were alerted to our code-breaking abilities by a story run in the Chicago Tribune following the Battle of Midway and by a speech made by a Congressman on the floor of the House.

Furthermore, the code used before Pearl was changed shortly after Midway, leading to a blackout of actual decoding prior to the invasion of Guadalcanal. Had the Jappanese been clued in by Dewey's speeches they would have learned that the US could break codes last used in mid 1942. Codes that had been changed multiple times since.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I just don't know what to think. FDR could have let the Japanese get close enough, then we could have sunk their ships. We could still have declared war on Japan, but not lose as many people as we did by letting them sandbag us.

I really do have to question the timing of this article. It sounds like a disinformation ploy for people to question our role in Iraq.

[PeterPrinciple]

There were all kinds of small events that could have changed the future. There were snafus throught out the whole process.

If you think your enemy is going to strike and you act in preperatiion, it doesn't mean you cause it. Japan was going to attack, you can try to influence when.

[peyton randolph]

Does sound sort of Al Jazeerish, doesn't it?

This is the money quote for the Moonbat strait jacket tinfoil hat brigade

"Stinnett: That’s right. But you see they wanted the successful overt act by Japan."

To assert that a U.S. President (with the possible exception of Bill Clinton) would do this is certifiably nuts. It would be treason - a willful refusal of the Commander-in-Chief to defend this country against foreign enemies.

[TheRobb7]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1535158/posts?page=9#9

[Calpernia]

[peyton randolph]

See Post # 13.

[ARCADIA]

Our ability to decode intercepted Japanese messages was well less then 100%. But, even if we had the information, what were we supposed to do with it? Tensions between the US and Japan had been building for some time, and the rest of the world was in the middle of a world war. We were already at a high alert and gearing up war-level production of military equipment and personnel. A state of war did not exist.

- Would it be smart to let the Japanese know that we have broken their code, by publishing the exact content of their coded message?
- Should the administration attack the Japanese fleet in international waters, without a declaration of hostilities, without a declaration of war, and strike the first blow?

We did all that could have been done. We warned our bases and continued to prepare. It was Kimmel who failed to appreciate the risk. It was his fault that we were caught with our pants down at Pearl Harbor. He should have appreciated that we had a large number of assets assigned to his command, and he should have used some of them to establish adequate pickets and responses.

[Phsstpok]

Looks like this must be an old article:

One might wonder if the theory that President Franklin Roosevelt had a foreknowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack would have been alluded to in this summer’s movie, Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor was a 2001 movie.

doesn't change the thrust of the article, just the timing. Presumably being post 9/11 it would also explain why this kind of revelation would have been overlooked (besides the normal "protect dems at all cost" media)

[WhiteGuy]

a willful refusal of the Commander-in-Chief to defend this country against foreign enemies.

Yes, perhaps you're right, maybe it is treason...........

[ken5050]

I've read the book, and can heartily recommend it...

To those who don't really understand how strong the isolationist sentiment was here before the war, ( and parenthetically, to those who decry the level of partisan bitterness in DC today) during the Senate debate on FRD's Lend-Lease bill, Sen Wm Borah (R-Idaho) a leader of the isolationist bloc, in a passionate speech opposing the bill, said that "if it passes...if will drag us into a war in Europe, and plow under every fourth American boy!"