EventhoughtheUnitedStatesclaimsthattheattackontheUSSMaddoxintheGulfof

Tonkinwasunprovoked,theUnitedStatesinstigatedtheattacksthroughthreatsofwarand
throughthestubborndeterminationtoabolishcommunism.

ThoughtheevidenceleansinthesupportoftheVietnamesepeople
,itiscertainly
feasible
thattheseattacksmightnothavebeenprovoked
.InaninterviewonNBCTV
conductedbyjournalistElieAbel,thejournalistmeetswith,SecretaryofStateDeanRuskin
ordertofindoutmoreaboutthissocalledunprovokedattackontheGulfofTonkin,and
SecretaryofStateDeanRuskrespondsbystating,Thereisagreatgulfofunderstanding
betweentheirworldsandourworld,ideologicalincharacter.Theyseewhatwethinkofasthe
realworldinwhollydifferenttermsAndtheessentialfactwasthatourvesselswerebeing
attackedonthehighseasbytheseboatsandwehadtodosomethingaboutit.Thisquote
speakstomeinseveraldifferentways,thefirstbeingthatitisentirelytruethatourworldand
theVietnameseworldaredifferentinalmosteveryway,andsotheideathattheseattackscould
bethoughtofasacceptableontheVietnameseside,andnotonourside,isprobable.The
secondpoint,giventhatthedateofthisinterviewwasthe5thofAugust,1964,isthatofgenuine
confusion.Thefactthatthisinterviewwasconductedthedayafterthesecondincidentproves
thattheUnitedStatesanditsgovernmentcouldbeactuallyconfused.
Asconvincingasit
seems,thesepointsthataremadetodisprovetheargumentoftheVietnamesearefarfromthe
truth,andoncerevealed,theactualhistoryofthisincidentwillallowustomoveforward
knowingly.

OnecouldarguethattheUnitedStateswasjustifiedinitsbombingsandthe
startingofthewar,yetevidencethathasbeenuncoverednowshowsthattheideaand
threatofwarhadbeeninthemindsoftheAmericangovernmentforquitesometime.
The
sameSecretaryofStateDeanRuskthathadappearedintheinterviewonNBCTVhadalso
writtenseveraltelegramspriortotheincidentintheGulfofTonkinandhadaddressedthese
telegramstoHenryCabotLodge,aUSambassadorinVietnam.Thesetelegramscontained
informationonweaknessesoftheVietnamesepeopleandhowitwouldallowfortheUnited
StatestostartawarwithVietnamwithoutfacingblame.Inonetelegram,writtenonthe22ndof
May,1964,SecretaryofStateDeanRuskstatesthat,Ontheotherquestion,whethertheinitial
substantialattacks[againstNorthVietnam]couldbeleftwithoutacknowledgement,itisour
presentviewherethatthiswouldsimplynotbefeasible.ThefactthattheUnitedStatesis
discussingpossibleoutcomesofstartingwar,andevenwaystostartawarunnoticed,tellsme
thatwarhadbeenonthetableforquitesometimebeforetheincidentintheGulfofTonkin.Itis
probablethattheinterviewthatNBCTVhadconductedwithDeanRuskwasentirelyfalse,and
thatitwasperfectlyclearwhytheUSSMaddoxwaswhereitwas,andwhatitwasdoingonthat
water.Laterinthetelegram,SecretaryofStateDeanRuskstatesThus,publicityseemsalmost
inevitabletoushereforanyattackthatdidsignificantdamage.TheUnitedStates,asitisclear
inthisquote,wasfortryingtodiscoverawayforwartoerupt,yetwithoutblamefromother
nations.
NotonlydoesthisprovethattheattackontheUSSMaddoxwastheperfect
opportunityfortheUnitedStatestostartawarwithVietnam,butitprovestheprobabilitythatthe
UnitedStateswasinfactinthewrong.

TheunveilingofmoreevidencefurtherprovesthepointthattheUnitedStateswas
willingtostartawaratanycost
.Itcomesasnosurprisethatatelegram,eveningmore
sickeningthetheonebefore,wouldhavebeendiscoveredintheaftermathofthewar.

Henry
CabotLodge,themanwhohadwrittentelegramsconstantlybackandforthwithSecretaryof
StateDeanRusk,hadalsowrittentelegramstotheU.S.DepartmentofState.
Inthistelegram,
HenryCabotLodgestatesthatWewantascreamfromthemthattheyhadbeenhitby
somethingcomingfromourside.Iwouldnotobjectiftheyblamedus.Theycouldprovenothing.
Wecouldeitherbetotallysilent,orchallengethemtoprovideproof,orsaywearelookinginto
it.TheUnitedStateshadbeenprovokingVietnamforplentyoftimebeforetheincident,andin
thisquotethemessagethatisbeingconveyedisbasicallythatthroughprovokingthe
Vietnamese,theUnitedStateswouldallowfurytoboilover,andthescreamsoffuryfrom
VietnamwouldallowtheUnitedStatestostartthiswarwithoutbeingblamed.Laterinthis
Telegram,HenryCabotLodgestatesthatThereareanumberofwaystomakethemscream.
Couldrocketcarryingplanes,flyingalongtheNorthVietnamborder,letsomethinggoonthe
pretextthattheyhadbeenfiredonandwerefiringback?
Thisisfurtherproofthatthecontextof
thistelegramisaggressiveandthetoneisthatofsomeonedeterminedtoensurevictory.This
feels,tome,likeanactofruthlessness,despitethewilloftheAmericanpeopletoabolish
communism.

AlthoughtheUnitedStatesclaimedthattheircauseforstartingwarwastobetterthe
peopleofVietnam,byfreeingthemfromthegraspsofcommunism,itisnowclearthattheir
actionswereunfoundedandbasedinathreatofwar.Throughthisunveilingofevidenceand
themultitudeoftelegramsthathadrisenupfromtheashesofthiswar,itispossibletonowfully
understandthesituationthatwasathand.Itisnowmadeclearthewrongscommittedbythe
UnitedStatesgovernment.AlthoughtheUnitedStatesmayhavebeenwantingtohelp,the
threatofwarthattheyconstantlyposeddisabledanypeacemakingornegotiationbetweenthe
twonations.