JOHNSON ORDERS ACTION, STRESSES IT IS LIMITIED; U.N. TO HEAR CHARGES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP66B00403R000200160002-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 29, 2004
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: August 5, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

It rr?alfitrt,/,
l'r?oi!iuco
The Wasnington Post
Map shows areas where the , United States destroyer
Maddox was attacked Sunday (1) by North Vietnamese
PT boats, and where the Maddox and the destroyer C.
Turner Joy were attacked yesterday (2). President John'
son said last night he had ordered "air action" against
"gunboats and certain facilities in North Viet-Nam," loca-
tions of which he did not identify.
ly" on -a congressional resolu.
tion expressing United States
unity in a determination "to
take all necessary measures in
support of freedom, and in de-
fense of peace, im Southeast
Asia."
Resolution Assured
Mr. Johnson said congres-,
sional leaders assured him In -
a 90-.rnlnute meeting last night
that such a resolution will be
introduced, debated, and pass
ed promptly with overwhelm-
ing support.
In his six-minute address
last night, the President added
to his prepared statement that
he had discussed his decision
by telephone with Republican
presidential nominee Sen.
Barry M. Goldwater. He said.
he reached the Senator in Bal-
boa, Calif., and "I am glad to,
say he has expressed his sup-
port of the statement I am.
making tonight."
The President's swift doe!-:
sior yesterday to retaliate
against the home bases of
Communist attackers marks
the first time that such an or-
der has been given since the
attacks on North Korean bases'
In the Korean War.
Action to be 'Limited'
However, President Johnson
emphasized, in this case, that
the "limited" nature of the:
$ee POLICY, A9, Col. I
action. A meeting w
Approved For Release 2005 fJ2/lQ3oG A-RDP6619604t R000200160002-9
I ? The President has already
asked Senate and II o u s e
leaders for action "immediate.,
. # 'Jy4 .
116tiff9offo . "Faffiel"i0ii
Stresses Limited;
JOG to hear Charges
By Murrey Marder
Staff ROpDrtor
President Johnson last night ordered United States
"air action" against "gunboats and certain supporting
facilities in North Viet-Nam" after the second attack
in three days upon American warships by Communist
torpedo boats.
In the gravest military confrontation since the Cuban
missile crisis of 1962, the President said:
". . . Repeated acts of violence against the armed
forces of the United States must be met not only with
alert defense, but with positive. reply. That reply is being.'
given as I speak to you."
By 'that he meant, as was
s o p n revealed here, that
A m e r i c a n fighter-bombers
from aircraft carriers were al-
ready striking at the North
Vietnamese PT-boat bases. The
intent was to destroy the Com-
munist torpedo boat capabil-
ity.
In addition, the United
States is sending substantial
additional military elements
to Southeast Asia.
But it was emphasized last
night that the intent of the
United States is not to esca-
late the war' but only to
retaliate against the Com-
munist attacks.
The United States response
to these two rounds of North
Viet-Nam attacks on the
"awesome" military power of
the United States "will be
limited and fitting," the Pres-
ident said solemnly.
"We still seek no wider war"
in Southeast Asia,. said the
President, for Americans
know, "although others ap-
pear to forget," the risks of
spreading war.
The President said he has
instructed Secretary of State
Dean Rusk to make that posi-
tion clear to "friends" and
"adversaries" alike.
U.N. to Get Charges
Ile announced two otimx ac-
tions in a near-midnight ad-
dress that climaxed a skyrock-
eting sequence of develop-
ments yesterday:
? Ambassador .to the United
Nations Adlai E. Stevenson
has been instructed to raise
"Immediately and urgently"
before the United Nations Se-
curity Council what the United
States charges is a deliberate
violation by North Viet-Nam of
freedom of the seas, by attacks
on U.S. vessels in interna-
tional waters.
In New York last night, the
United States officially asked
for an urgent meeting of the
Security Council this morning
to inform the Council of its
roveW"(Mf'a(flPW5/