[size=18]US Vietnam intelligence 'flawed'[/size]Newly-released US documents suggest the US escalated the war in Vietnam based on skewed intelligence.
The documents cast doubt on the existence of an attack on a US warship by the North Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin on 4 August 1964.
The incident prompted President Lyndon Johnson to ask Congress, in effect, to declare war on Vietnam.
The revelations, released by the National Security Agency, were written by its own historian in 2001.
Robert Hanyok declares his review of all the intelligence shows beyond doubt that "no attack happened that night". The USS Maddox had been attacked two days earlier.
He claims errors were made in the translation of the intercepted signals from the North Vietnamese, and officials gave too much weight to flimsy evidence.
But he clears President Johnson and his ministers of any blame. They were only shown intelligence supporting the claim of an attack, not a wealth of contradictory material, he says.
Instead, he blames the intelligence-gathers. "They walked alone in their counsels," he wrote.
Three days later, President Johnson asked Congress to empower him to take "all necessary steps" in the region, opening the way for a war that resulted in the deaths of 58,000 Americans and three million Vietnamese.
The US government is said to have fought the declassification of the documents over fears of comparisons with the handling of Iraq, says the BBC's defence and security correspondent Rob Watson.
[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4492190.stm]BBC News[/url]
Oops...
Everybody knows that...
The second "attack" was just ducting.
Lyndon Johnson used the attack to push his Gulf of Tonkin resolution through and a few days later said "those boys were probably just listening to fish"
My history teacher at school brushed aside the Gulf of Tonkin incident as made up.
He prob dont believe in the moodlanding either then
Back in BLACK
French proverb: The more things change, the more they are the same.
I couldn't say.
I first heard about this ages ago.
I think American troops were already fighting in Indochina anyway.
The first attack was real - the second was not.
We did have troops in indochina but very few - though we were doing sorties over NV.
lol I noticed this is a big thing with muslims - whats up with that?
A couple members of the forum have asked me about it before too... lol smart ones at that
There was a documentary about it on Channel 5.
It was repeated twice I think.
The horror
The horror
Oh Salaf...
I never can tell when you're being sarcastic.
Moonlandings are one of those things you never question.
until you see the questions, that are not adeqately answered by the 'experts'.
I used to laugh at those who did not believe in the landings.
Now i still think they happened, bt there are questions over the footage shown.
Some of it was probably prefilmed just in case something went wrong...
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
oh, and this topic was started for its novelty.
Something to wind down after a long long long long day at work.
I found it funny.... even though I know I shouldn't. alot of people died.
No idea if it would have made any diference if the flaws were not there...
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.