The Old and New Pearl Harbor
In his article for the March/April 2008 edition of the CFR organ Foreign Relations, Paul R. Pillar defends the intelligence community against criticism of perceived intelligence failures such as the 'surprise attack' on Pearl Harbor and September 11. Neither 'surprise attack' came as a surprise of course. The attack on Pearl Harbor was deliberately provoked by the U.S. government. First, they put a crippling oil embargo on Japan, then they set up the entire Pacific fleet like a sitting duck. As intended the Japanese attacked, giving the U.S. government the excuse to drag its reluctant population into World War II. There was plenty of warning against an imminent Japanese attack. They were all ignored on order of the U.S. president under the silly excuse that making the fleet leave Pearl Harbor would be too costly.
