<P> Another controversy was that President Johnson sent combat troops to Vietnam by July 17, 1965, before pretending to consult his advisors on July 21--27, per the cable stating that "Deputy Secretary of Defense Cyrus Vance informs McNamara that President had approved 34 Battalion Plan and will try to push through reserve call - up ." </P> <P> In 1988, when that cable was declassified, it revealed "there was a continuing uncertainty as to (Johnson's) final decision, which would have to await Secretary McNamara's recommendation and the views of Congressional leaders, particularly the views of Senator (Richard) Russell ." </P> <P> Nixon's Solicitor General Erwin N. Griswold later called the Pentagon Papers an example of "massive overclassification" with "no trace of a threat to the national security ." The Pentagon Papers' publication had little or no effect on the ongoing war because they dealt with documents written years before publication . </P> <P> After the release of the Pentagon Papers, Goldwater said: </P>

South vietnam was essentially the creation of the united states