Posted on 08/22/2006 8:34:54 AM PDT by Hillary'sMoralVoid
Forward: During this election season, you will certainly hear the mantra "Bush lied". To counter that, here is a REAL example of how intelligence was distorted, resulting in TENS of THOUSANDS of American lives lost.
"The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, 40 Years Later -- Flawed Intelligence and the Decision for War in Vietnam"
Signals Intercepts, Cited at Time, Prove Only August 2nd Battle, Not August 4; purported Second Attack Prompted Congressional Blank Check for War
Johnson-McNamara Tapes Show READINESS TO ESCALATE, EVEN ON SUSPECT INTEL. TOP AIDES KNEW OF MISTAKEN SIGNALS, but Welcomed Justification for Vote (Emphasis added)
Washington, D.C., 4 August 2004 - Forty years ago today, President Johnson and top U.S. officials chose to believe that North Vietnam had just attacked U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin, even though the highly classified signals intercepts they cited to each other actually described a naval clash two days earlier (a battle prompted by covert U.S. attacks on North Vietnam), according to the declassified intercepts, Johnson White House tapes, and related documents posted today by the National Security Archive at George Washington University.
Compiled by Archive senior fellow and Vietnam expert John Prados, today's 40th anniversary electronic briefing book includes Dr. Prados's detailed analysis of the intercepts - only declassified in 2003 - together with audio files and transcripts of the key Tonkin Gulf conversations between President Johnson and Defense Secretary Robert McNamara. The latter are excerpted from Dr. Prados's book, The White House Tapes (New York: The New Press, 2003). The posting also contains photographs and charts from the Tonkin Gulf incident courtesy of the U.S. Naval Historical Center, a detailed documentary chronology compiled by the State Department's Office of the Historian for the Foreign Relations of the United States series, a CIA Special National Intelligence on Vietnam.
(Excerpt) Read more at gwu.edu ...
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
OTOH, nothing has changed. What is the POTUS supposed to do when he gets these 'intelligence' reports? Wait to be sure?
Where is the "Awwwwwwweeee Jeeeeeeezzz" guy? He needs to be posted here.
It's happened more than once, no? And it sucks.
I have a liberal friend that believes Nixon started the war in Vietnam. He gets totally insane and foaming at the mouth if you try and convince him otherwise. I think this is a form of mental illness.
Exactly.......like in 1861 when the President tried to convince the public that the garrison at Ft. Sumter was starving and needed emergency help.
I would not give Johnson a drop of water, where he is now, he was as evil as the clintoon's and destroyed this country's inter-structure.
LBJ - the worst US president ever.
It's been said that he was responsible for JFK's demise - however, I know that conspiracy theories are loathe on FR and therefore I won't comment further.
Being so old that I can't forget what happened I will add:
1. The USofA was a member of SEATO (Southeast Asia Treaty Organization).
2. South Vietnam also was a member.
3. North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam.
4. The USofA came to the aid of a fellow member.
5. All members were obligated to aid each and every member.
And placing North Vietnam "off limits" to ground invasion did him in.
As I recall, McNamera gave it only a phrase in his book, like "...out of the question" and left it there.
Kennedy sent 14,000 ground troops to Vietnam, in a monumently stupid move, thus starting the VW. (There were advisors all over the world)
The only 'damage' from the attack that actually occurred was ONE BULLET that struck the destroyer.
It was simply an excuse for action. We were dissed ....
Yes LBJ was the very worst of any president!
His rotten streak was without equal!
And following in his footsteps would be Carter
Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara... I remember them... but
I wish I didn't.
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