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“On July 2, 1940, Roosevelt signed the Export Control Act, authorizing the President to license or prohibit the export of essential defense materials.” Under this authority, “on July 31, exports of aviation motor fuels and lubricants and No. 1 heavy melting iron and steel scrap were restricted.” Next, in a move aimed at Japan, Roosevelt slapped an embargo, effective October 16, “on all exports of scrap iron and steel to destinations other than Britain and the nations of the Western Hemisphere.” Finally, on July 26, 1941, Roosevelt “froze Japanese assets in the United States, thus bringing commercial relations between the nations to an effective end. One week later Roosevelt embargoed the export of such grades of oil as still were in commercial flow to Japan.”The British and the Dutch followed suit, embargoing exports to Japan from their colonies in southeast Asia."

https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=1930

“On July 2, 1940, Roosevelt signed the Export Control Act, authorizing the President to license or prohibit the export of essential defense materials.” Under this authority, “on July 31, exports of aviation motor fuels and lubricants and No. 1 heavy melting iron and steel scrap were restricted.” Next, in a move aimed at Japan, Roosevelt slapped an embargo, effective October 16, “on all exports of scrap iron and steel to destinations other than Britain and the nations of the Western Hemisphere.” Finally, on July 26, 1941, Roosevelt “froze Japanese assets in the United States, thus bringing commercial relations between the nations to an effective end. One week later Roosevelt embargoed the export of such grades of oil as still were in commercial flow to Japan.”The British and the Dutch followed suit, embargoing exports to Japan from their colonies in southeast Asia." https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=1930

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[–] • 0 pt

Yeah. The US Navy was deliberately not on alert - but they did have assets standing by.

US Intelligence knew Japan was going to strike, and they knew the Japanese consul was going to bring a declaration of war to the White House just before the attack began. The plan was to have the fleet remain a target, but when the consul left the embassy the attack would be discovered and the fleet would rapidly move out to defend itself and fighters would be launched.

Unfortunately no one expected the Japanese to make a mistake, in time zone calculations. The consul left late and arrived 4 hours after the attack began.