ellsberg

Ellsberg marveled at how far technology has come, that with the click of a mouse such a massive volume of information can be released.

On balance, though, Ellsberg said he supported the decision to put the documents in the public realm.

Ellsberg said he had studied every word of the Pentagon Papers and carefully weighed whether their release would harm anyone.

"The truth does not need a policy objective, " proclaimed Mr Assange to a nodding Mr Ellsberg.

That burglary was one reason why the Ellsberg trial collapsed.

Still, Ellsberg, 79, said he had mixed feelings about the release of so many documents.

Ellsberg strongly rejects the mantra "Pentagon Papers good; WikiLeaks material bad. "

Ellsberg and two other former whistleblowers warned that US agencies would "do all possible to make an example" of the Wikileaks founder.

"He's a guy who's in the same state of mind I was in, " said Ellsberg in a phone interview.

After the release of the Pentagon Papers, Mr Ellsberg lost many friends and had to start a new life.

The man who leaked the documents, Daniel Ellsberg, says he already picked out the best bits.

Mr Ellsberg: I would say in a very crucial way they are deceiving us.

Much as Mr Ellsberg did, Mr Assange expects to be prosecuted under the Espionage Act and may soon need a safe haven.

Mr Ellsberg earned a doctorate from Harvard University.

But Daniel Ellsberg proved an elusive target, and anyway his work was already done.