Word: wiesner
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Harvard, were science advisors to Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower, respectively, and were among the leading spokesmen for the scientific community during the period covered by the Pentagon Papers. The interview took place in mid-August at Woods Hole. Massachusetts. in the offices of the National Academy of Sciences. Wiesner and Kistiakowsky retained the right to edit their remarks, a right both have exercised. The few places where the printed version truncates the actual discussion, or where amplification is required, are indicated in italics. Elinor Langer...
...Wiesner. I certainly knew nothing about...
...Wiesner. I had been out of Washington since March '64 and the war blew up after that. In addition, I haven't studied newly released papers sufficiently to be able to talk about what was just contingency planning that is necessary and what was, in effect, government policy. I think that one has to be very careful in making such interpretations...
...Wiesner. Well, I believed him for other reasons, too, in spite of the fact that, as I said earlier, I was not on good terms with the President. I had seen him push for disarmament initiatives inside the White House: press on the White House staff, including myself. I was not involved in Vietnam discussions because they were not a prominent part of the government business during the first months that he was President and I was still working there. There were other issues that were much more important. But in the contacts we had with him and with...
...Wiesner. Yes, I attended meetings, but even so, strategy issues were not discussed in PSAC. The point is, the thing that appalled us about Goldwater was his threats to use nuclear weapons and his very strong jingoism. Johnson never talked like that, and the contrast was attractive. We never asked the President about Vietnam specifically, so we can't say we were deceived in any literal sense. On the other hand, we were given the impression that we were supporting a peace platform: there is no question about that...