The
Gulf of Tonkin incident(
Vietnamese:
Sự kiện Vịnh Bắc Bộ) was an international confrontation that led to the United States engaging more directly in the
Vietnam War. It consisted of a confrontation on 2 August 1964, when
United States forces were carrying out covert
amphibiousoperations close to
North Vietnamese territorial waters, which triggered a response from North Vietnamese forces. The United States government falsely claimed that a second incident occurred on 4 August, between North Vietnamese and United States ships in the waters of the
Gulf of Tonkin. Originally, US military claims blamed North Vietnam for the confrontation and the ostensible, but in fact imaginary, incident on 4 August. Later investigation revealed that the second attack never happened. The
National Security Agency, an agency of the US Defense Department, had deliberately skewed intelligence to create the impression that an attack had been carried out.