Secretary of State Dean Rusk on bombing North Vietnam
1965

As far as the bombing is concerned, we did not anticipate that the bombing itself would interfere with, to the extent of stopping, infiltration. But there is no doubt that the bombing has impaired their ability to reinforce and to supply their effort in South Vietnam.

Our general view is very well known as to what the object is here, as it has been in a number of other situations since 1945. Somebody is trying to take over by force a country to which we have a commitment. It should not surprise anyone to suppose that it is an elementary part of our view that that effort should stop. What we ought to be able to do, and do promptly, is to pull North Vietnam and South Vietnam apart military. That's the beginnings of peace, that's the beginnings of peace. You can go on from there.