Daniel Ellsberg speaks out

[Annie]

Sent to me by Morgan Stack

Annie



'The stakes are high, and the danger is great.'

Daniel ellsberg speaks at Lehigh. Vietnam-era strategist, author
predicts Iran attack, martial law.

http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-5/11448152 13193550.xml&coll=2

Wednesday, April 12, 206
By MICHELLE PITTMAN
The Express-Times

BETHLEHEM | In Daniel Ellsberg's own words, secrets can be kept by
those people in government who have spent years learning to keep their
mouths shut.

More than 500 people came to see Ellsberg, a Vietnam-era strategic
analyst and the author of "Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon
Papers" at Lehigh University's Packard Auditorium on Monday night.
Ellsberg's talk focused on secrets, including those he released by leaking
the Pentagon Papers 35 years ago, and secrets he says are being kept by
the current administration.

"I'm very, very worried about this country right now. I think the next
9/11 or another crisis will be used by this administration to shut down
democracy, to take away the Bill of Rights," he said. "They've come
pretty far. But I think we'll see a litany of official secrets, a renewal
of the draft and nuclear testing, an attack on Iran. We'll see a new
Patriot Act that will make the first one look like the Bill of Rights. I
believe there will be martial law in some areas. (Hurricane) Katrina
softened us up for that."

Ellsberg called President Bush dangerous.

"I think we are in the twilight of our democracy if we don't start some
investigations. And nothing's guaranteed to improve if you elect
Democrats, but at least then we have a fighting chance. The stakes are high,
and the danger is great."

Earlier in the day, Ellsberg addressed a much smaller audience at the
Humanities Center, with several faculty members and Eckardt scholars,
the university's substitute for honor's college.

Sophomore Jillian Kelly said it was a thrill for her to meet with one
of the original "whistleblowers."

"My dad was a Marine in Vietnam in 1969 and '70," she said. "I grew up
hearing his stories, and I'm always interested in learning more about
his experiences."

Lexie Marchuk, also a sophomore, said she has been taking a Vietnam War
class with professor Ted Morgan and was interested to hear more about
that era.

Both students said they were surprised at the many parallels Ellsberg
drew between that era and current events.

"It's almost overwhelming to hear all of this information," Marchuk
said. "Why on Earth aren't we talking about this? This isn't even on the
Daily Show. It makes me feel like no one's getting to the real truth."

Ellsberg talked at length about the recent investigations surrounding
the Bush White House and the legality of leaking and declassifying
information at that level.

"I know the system very well," he said. "Nothing allows someone,
president or otherwise, to see a classified document if they don't have the
proper clearance."

But as much as the American public wants more answers about the current
administration, Ellsberg said the reverse is also true.

"The Army is right now penetrating organizations that are against the
war," he said. "It's not something I talk about, because even to talk
about it makes people suspicious. It makes their lives hard to live. It
makes it hard to organize if they feel they can't trust anyone else. It
serves (the administration's) purpose if people begin to worry about
spying.

"Secrets can be kept by a lot of people for a very, very long time," he
said. "Generations even. Decades. It's really not that unusual."

Reporter Michelle Pittman can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail
at mpittman@express-times.com.