The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 271
The Gulf Crisis & The New World Order PSYCHOLOGICAL REPERCUSSIONS OF DEFEAT IN VIETNAM I had once said that the U. S. had many psychological reasons for attacking Iraq. U nited States had wanted to wipe out the chagrin of defeat it experienced in Vietnam. That had been a motivating force in its attack on Iraq. It was an attempt to redeem its military honour and to rise from the ashes of its humiliation. Now let me tell you in brief how in Vietnam, the U. S. 's arrogance and honour was shattered and how the self esteem and pride of the world's greatest power was trampled to dust. The Vietnam war started on August 4, 1964. By a coincidence or twist of fate that conflict was also started by a "storm" The United States code-named it as "Tropic Storm". During the war between South and North Vietnam when Communist Vietnam wanted to topple the government of South Vietnam, the United States looked for an opportunity to help South Vietnam in defeating North Vietnam. At that time, there were 2 U. S. warships in Vietnamese waters. One ship 'The Maddox' entered Vietnamese territorial waters, in an area within the jurisdiction of North Vietnam. North Vietnam sent out some patrol boats to attack the Maddox but the patrol boats were destroyed or driven away. The Maddox sailed out of North Vietnamese zone and then assisted by another United States destroyer the "Turner-Joy" it returned safely after two or three days. They waited for the expected attack from North Vietnam, in reaction to the provocation by the Maddox; so that the United States could find an excuse to attack and invade North Vietnam in retaliation. However, on the fourth day a tropical storm broke out in that area. A tropical storm is very fierce and is as dangerous as a desert storm. In this tropical storm all the radio and electrical equipment was rendered unserviceable and all signals were jammed and the crew of both U. S. ships were completely cut-off from all communication. The crew at that time thought that they were under attack by North Vietnam. It was, indeed silly to think so. The storm was so obvious and visible that only a blockhead could have thought that the electrical disturbance was caused by a North Vietnam attack. Anyway, when one is looking for excuses then even the flimsy ones would suffice. So the U. S. commenced pounding and bombing North Vietnam heavily. The United States maintained the view that it was only retaliating in response to a North Vietnam attack. So North Vietnam was attacked with great vigour. During the year 1964, 200,000 United States 271