Why Did the Nixon Administration Attempt to Halt the Publication

question 73

Multiple Choice

Why did the Nixon administration attempt to halt the publication of the Pentagon Papers?

• A) They contained damaging revelations about the Nixon administration's policy in Vietnam.
• B) They chronicled two decades of waste, mismanagement, and ineffective weapons systems, and the administration feared that public trust in the defense establishment would be undermined.
• C) They revealed a long history of government lies that could further undermine public trust in government statements about the Vietnam War.
• D) They contained embarrassing details of Daniel Ellsberg's psychiatric therapy, and the administration feared that a national hero would be publicly discredited.
• E) They were to be published in The New York Times and the Washington Post , both of which had long been on his "enemies list."

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Definitions:

Korean War

A conflict fought from 1950 to 1953 between South Korea, supported by the United Nations and the United States, and North Korea, backed by the People's Republic of China, with military aid from the Soviet Union.

38th Parallel

The prearranged dividing line between North and South Korea established at the end of World War II.

Plausible Deniability

The ability of a person to deny knowledge of or responsibility for any damnable actions committed by others because of a lack of evidence that can confirm their participation.

Covert Activities

Secret or undercover operations conducted by governments or organizations to achieve specific objectives.