Swiss Military Expert Compares Poland Drone Incident to ‘Gulf of Tonkin’

Sept. 19—Retired Lieutenant Colonel of the General Staff of the Swiss Armed Forces and former special adviser on military issues to the OSCE Secretary General (2014-2020) Ralf Bosshard spoke with TASS regarding his analysis of the Poland drone incident.

While Polish and other European leaders believe the drones were produced in Russia, there is no proof “that they were used by Russian troops,” he says.

“Considering the mass use of such drones in Ukraine, it is possible that the latter retrieved, repaired and then used such drones,” he elaborated.

“In any case, this is very reminiscent of the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, which was provoked by the American side to justify an attack on North Vietnam,” Bosshard said, expressing an opinion that he said is shared by a number of his former colleagues.

The August 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident involved reported attacks on two U.S. destroyers, the USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy, by North Vietnamese patrol boats. On Aug. 2, 1964, the Maddox exchanged fire with three torpedo boats after firing warning shots; the other two boats then fled. On Aug. 4, a second attack was reported, but evidence later emerged suggesting it likely did not happen. This incident, particularly the alleged second attack, provided U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson with the justification to ask Congress for the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, leading to a major escalation of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, including direct attacks on North Vietnam.