Existing comment:
Infamy:
Surprise Attack ... or Intelligence Failure?
On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, killing and wounding thousands and crippling the US Navy. America's people and military reeled from the unexpected blow. But should the attack have come as a surprise?
A team led by William Friedman had broken Japan's diplomatic code. Spies in the field issued warnings. Yet, intercepted messages went unread and unanalyzed; reports were unheeded. American isolationism and over-confidence had nurtured inefficiency, allowing internal rivalries and a complex chain of command to hobble intelligence-gathering. |