Newly declassified documents reveal that Gen. Leslie Groves, the director of the Manhattan Project, misled Congress and the public about the effects of radiation from the atomic bomb during World War II. The documents show that Groves initially misled due to ignorance, then denial, and finally willful deception. Some scientists, including J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of the Los Alamos lab, chose to remain silent about Groves' lies rather than confront him directly. The documents were released by the National Security Archive, a private research organization at George Washington University. One of the documents, titled "Calculated Biological Effects of Atomic Explosion in Hiroshima and Nagasaki," revealed that radioactive fallout, not just the blast and heat, caused some of the deaths. Despite this, Groves dismissed claims of radiation deaths as "propaganda" in a press conference. The documents also show that Groves ignored warnings from medical experts about the toxic fallout and claimed that no damaging effects were anticipated from radioactive materials. The newly released documents shed light on the deception and downplaying of the effects of radiation by Groves, who wanted to avoid negative public perception of nuclear weapons.
Tue, 08 Aug 2023 19:17:00 GMT | Slate