Lunch with David Kahn

Let me tell you about one of the more interesting lunches I have had recently relating to my book.  It was with David Kahn, the author of “The Code Breakers,” long thought to be one of the most authoritative books on how governments break codes.

I got to know David many years ago in the course of the Pentagon Papers case when I engaged him to be a witness in that case (it turned out that I did not need him).  I was concerned the Nixon Administration would accuse the New York Times of breaking codes.  (I was correct in this concern – see my book.)

I asked David with all his experience with espionage, could he think of one instance where it had been proven that a national security leak had in fact damaged national security.

He looked at me with great surprise and said, “Why haven’t I thought of that before.  What an interesting question?”

There was a pause while David thought.  Finally, his response was, “No.”  I said, “David, not one?”  He said, “Not one.”

Think of the significance of this remark.  Here is an expert who has spent all his working life studying national security (through the lens of code breaking), and he could not think of one example.

In my book, I conclude that Richard Nixon’s claims that publication of the Pentagon Papers breached national security in sum amounted to so much hot air.  But is it possible that this conclusion as applied to all government claims ever made against the leaks of classified information are equally fatuous?

That seems like an extravagant statement, but it certainly is a question to ponder.  Here is a picture of David and me following our lunch.

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