Source: Source: The Pentagon Papers, Gravel Edition, Volume 3, pp. 727
Secretary Rusk's News Conference of February 25, 1965, Department of State Bulletin, March 15, 1965, p. 367.
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Q. Mr. Secretary, what kind of legal basis did the United States have to bomb the targets of North Viet-Nam?
A. Self-defense of South Viet-Nam and the commitments of the United States with respect to the security and the self-defense of South Viet-Nam."
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