Editing Dean Rusk (section)

===Vietnam in 1965===
In May 1965, Rusk told Johnson that the "Four Points" presented by the North Vietnam premier Dong as peace terms were deceptive because "the third of those four points required the imposition of the National Liberation Front on all South Vietnam".<ref>Langguth, A.J. ''Our Vietnam 1954–1975'', New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000 p.365</ref> In June 1965, when General [[William Westmoreland]] requested of Johnson 180, 000 troops to Vietnam, Rusk argued to Johnson that the United States had to fight in Vietnam to maintain "the integrity of the U.S. commitment" throughout the world, but also wondered aloud if Westermoreland was exaggerating the extent of the problems in South Vietnam in order to have more troops under his command.<ref>Karnow, Stanley ''Vietnam: A History'', New York: Viking, 1983 p.423</ref> However, despite his doubts about Westmoreland Rusk in a rare memo to the president warned that if South Vietnam were lost "the Communist world would draw conclusions that would lead to our ruin and almost certainly to a catastrophic war".<ref>Langguth, A.J. ''Our Vietnam 1954–1975'', New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000 p.371</ref> At another meeting, Rusk stated the United States should have committed itself to Vietnam more heavily in 1961, saying that if  U.S. troops had been sent to fight then, the present difficulties would not exist.<ref>Langguth, A.J. ''Our Vietnam 1954–1975'', New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000 p.378</ref>

Rusk came into conflict with his Undersecretary of State, George Ball, about Vietnam. When Ball argued the governing duumvirate of Thieu and Ky in South Vietnam were "clowns" unworthy of American support, Rusk replied: "Don't give me that stuff. You don't understand that at the time of Korea we had to go out and dig up Syngman Rhee out of the bush where he was hiding. There was no government in Korea, either. We're going to get some breaks, and this thing is going to work."<ref>Langguth, A.J. ''Our Vietnam 1954–1975'', New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000 p.367</ref> Rusk felt that Ball's memos arguing that American involvement in the war should be seen by as few as possible.<ref>Langguth, A.J. ''Our Vietnam'' New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000 p.369</ref> At meetings of the National Security Council, Rusk consistently argued against Ball.<ref>Langguth, A.J. ''Our Vietnam 1954–1975'', New York: Simon and Schuster, 2000 p.353</ref>