New Releases Show How Vietnam Weighed on Nixon

War logs don't match revelations of Vietnam skullduggery

(NEWSER) - The release of 92,000 classified documents related to the Afghanistan war has prompted many comparisons to the Pentagon Papers. But that's a bit superficial, writes Richard Tofel for ProPublica . "In terms of important disclosures, it's not even close." The biggest WikiLeaks revelations involve Taliban fighters' use of heat-seeking missiles and the Pakistani intelligence service's complicated relationship with Taliban leadership—neither of which were actually secret. More»

(NEWSER) - Since the days of George Washington, outgoing presidents have found saying goodbye to the nation to be cathartic—and sometimes used the speech to warn of worries to come. Ahead of tomorrow's Bush address, the Houston Chronicle looks at some favorites.

1. Washington: Set the tone, paying tribute to the “arduous trust of the presidency.”
2. Dwight Eisenhower: Used his valedictory as a warning about the “military industrial complex.”

Denies book's claims; author unveils shocker on death teams

(NEWSER) - The White House has angrily rejected Bob Woodward's claim that the administration was riven by dissent ahead of the surge in Iraq, CNN reports. Woodward wrote in his new book that President Bush pushed troop levels past the Joint Chiefs, ignoring their worries about over-extending the military. The War Within went on sale yesterday. More»

Ruling class thinks former POW would increase trade

(NEWSER) - John McCain has won admiration from an unlikely place: Vietnam, the nation he bombed 23 times during the war there. Including politicians, newspaper editors, and even his former captor, Vietnamese are voicing support for the candidate. The Republican pushed to restore ties with the country a decade ago, and many Vietnamese hope he will now push to increase trade. More»

Chip maker's choice gives validation to nascent tech industry

(NEWSER) - Intel's choice of Vietnam for a massive superconductor plant surprised the tech world 2 years ago, but the firm's trailblazing has sparked a wave of high-tech investment that is transforming the country, the San Jose Mercury News reports. The plant is still more than a year away from completion, but Intel's presence is helping a nation that had no tech industry to speak of build one from the ground up. More»