Watch Tora Tora Tora!
Most of the questions in this article will be answered. To think that President Roosevelt had prior knowledge of the PH attack is just ludicrous.
Walt
Perhaps if you read Stinnett's book, you just might develop some doubts. If you're not interested, fine. If you want to keep an uniformed opinion, fine.
The issue of time of decypher of the military messages is decisive--if the author is correct and we had read the military messages before December 6, Roosevelt knew the attack was coming and actively sought to be sure it would happen. That view is supported by the order to Kimmel not to send a destroyer investigation force to the area from which the attack was initiated.
The issue would be resolved by complete access to the classified material. If the classified material did not demonstrate that FDR knew, why would it not be released? I assume, until they give a complete open declassification, that they are hiding the truth for the purpose of concealing FDR's prior knowledge of the attack.
When did Stinnett's paperback edition get released?
You think newer information just might exist to cause a "revision" [sorry for the pun] in one's position.
For example, in the National Archives II is a US Navy report released after Tora Tora Tora was made ... COMSUM 14 report the " ... Akagi heard on tactical circuits ... November 30th ..."
So much for "radio silence" as in Tora Tora Tora ...