Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

The main result of the Gulf of Tonkin incident was the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, made by the United States’ Congress. It states that the U.S. can and will take all measures to combat the spread of Communism in Indochina (namely Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos). Under Section 3, it basically proclaims the judgment of security in Southeast Asia exclusively to be that of the President’s, leaving the excuse for long term U.S. involvement in Vietnam. Many critics believe that the Tonkin incident was a setup to allow the U.S. government to make a statement like this and gain a motive to military involvement. Read the actual document.