CIA Releases De-Classified Korean War Documents
"Intelligence Failure."
This phrase seems to be synonymous with conflicts that the United States has been involved with in the past 70 years. From the lack of knowledge regarding the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor - thrusting the U.S. into the Second World War - to instances ranging all the way to modern day events, this seems to be an occurrence that happens far too often.
Yesterday, on the 60th anniversary of the start of the Korean War, documents have been released that run alongside this topic. These documents, formerly classified by the C.I.A. and now de-classified, show that the intelligence leading up to the start of the Korean War was lacking, and certain decisions and ways of thinking were perhaps different than what they should have been.
I am not out to criticize the C.I.A. since, at that point in time, the agency was only three years old and most likely lacked the technical and personnel resources and capabilities that are at its disposal today.
These documents also describe how the U.N. Security Council (only five years old at the time), while acting fast, did not act fast enough, according to NPR.org, "The North Koreans were far superior in numbers and weaponry, and the declassified CIA reports tell a story of panic and disarray on the southern side of the 38th parallel."
Included at NPR's website are the documents, photographs, a newsreel, and essentially a breakdown of what occurred during this time regarding the C.I.A., the United Nations, and China, among other topics, including the impact today on the Korean peninsula.
I am a firm believer in studying history so that people do not make the same mistakes that were already made. While these events happened before even my parents were born, I find them important and hope they will not be lost in the clutter that is the Internet and modern news.
While Lady Gaga at Yankee Stadium unfortunately gets a lot more web traffic ... in this writer's opinion it is not as important as something of this nature.
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