Did FDR know about Pearl Harbor in advance?

I'm reading a book called Rule by Secrecy by Jim Marrs that covers all manner of conspiracy theories. in the chapter regarding the beginning of WWII, he lists quite a few facts supporting the theory that Roosevelt knew about Pearl Harbor in advance. I'm not going to type out the whole page and a half or so, but it appears that there were at least two seperate warnings regarding a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor that went ignored. in addition, there's these (quoted from the text, page 174):
- "During Pacific naval exercises in 1932 and 1938, and with Japanese military attaches closely observing, US Navy officers theoritically destroyed the Pacific fleet at Pearl Harbor both times."
In my opinion, it seems like a fairly iffy idea at the very least to be playing blow-up-the-Pacific-fleet games with Japan in 1938. I doubt if it was clear that Japan would be a player in any conflict, but it does seem to be an odd idea to be staging war conflicts with a country that at that time was not a traditional ally (really, I don't know if Japan would really be considered a US ally now) as hostilities heated up in Europe.
there are more than a few other incidents like this listed, as well as the fact that the ships in the fleet were clustered around each other as defense against sabateurs, even though it was reported that a large Japanese fleet had begun moving towards Hawaii.
are things like this just military oversights that seemed inconsequential at the time, but added up to faciliate the attack on Pearl Harbor, or did someone at the top know what was happening, and chose not to react?

Someone at my work made a good point.

"They (US) tells us they couldn't see a squadron of Japanese fighters coming at us? Please..."

It's very old stuff on ATS, mornington-XC and you'll find a great deal in the archives.
It'll never be "proven" and "know about" takes some defining: but I'd say that the evidence certainly suggests that he was aware that an attack was going to take place, where and at what time.

It is too well-known to justify massive postings here: out of curiosity, I just Googled "Pearl Harbor the truth" and got a six-digit return.
Here's Alex Jones' site: www.prisonplanet.com...
a few links, too.

Heres a link to a Memo showing FDR knew about it.

www.whatreallyhappened.com...

by Robert B. Stinnett

Pearl Harbor was not an accident, a mere failure of American intelligence, or a brilliant Japanese military coup. It was the result of a carefully orchestrated design, initiated at the highest levels of our government. According to a key memorandum, eight steps were taken to make sure we would enter the war by this means. Pearl Harbor was the only way, leading officials felt, to galvanize the reluctant American public into action.




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This great question of Pearl Harbor � what did we know and when did we know it? � has been argued for years. At first, a panel created by FDR concluded that we had no advance warning and should blame only the local commanders for lack of preparedness. More recently, historians such as John Toland and Edward Beech have concluded that some intelligence was intercepted. Finally, just months ago, the Senate voted to exonerate Hawaii commanders Admiral Kimmel and Lt. General Short, after the Pentagon officially declared that blame should be "broadly shared." But no investigator has ever been able to prove that foreknowledge of the attack existed at the highest levels.

www.liberty-tree.org...

thanks for the info, all. I figured the subject was rather well-traveled here, but a redux now and again isn't so bad

If our entry into world war 2 wasnt bad enough, investiagte world war 1.

What was the offical cause of the US entering World War 1? The sinking of the Lusitania, of course. We know this happened. The question is, why would the Germans knowingly sink a passenger ship with American civilians on it? The war had already been bloody and brutal. The last thing the Germans wanted was the US to enter the war against it. So, the last thing the Germans would want to do is provoke the US into joining the war.

The Lusitania was all the US govornment needed to push popular sentiment into joining the war. Before that, Americans were vehnemently opposed to any intervention.

Answer? Someone had leaked false info deliberately to the Germans that the Lusitania was a supply ship for the British. Learning this, the Germans felt it was fair game, and sunk it.

The question is, who? Who leaked the false info to the Germans?

The answers are all around. Many powerful people were involved, in both the British and American govornment. And agents of niether govornment between, acting catylist.

Ben Friedman goes into great detail about this.

""They (US) tells us they couldn't see a squadron of Japanese fighters coming at us? Please..." "

If you look at the radar of the day you'll see that they used oscilloscopes to indicate a "peak" return. It was no where near the pretty displays you see in "Pushing Tin" and other silly movies. There was no IFF, and it was not 3D radar. So, when Lockard and Elliott, both trainees, saw a large spike they had no idea how many planes there were in that direction, no way of telling who they were, nor even any means of telling which way they were heading. (Plotting was handled at the Fighter Information Center, which was not yet set up as a functional unit.)

So, no, they didn't see them coming. "They" included three privates and a junior officer who was just there for familiarization. And Lt. Kermit Tyler wouldn't have been there if he had received correct information. The FIC operated from 4-7 AM, and he was told to be there from 4-8. So he was just just reading the funnies and killing time.