176-10036-10142
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
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AGENCY: NARA
RECORD NUMBER: 176-10036-10142
RECORD SERIES: National Security Files
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ORIGINATOR : CIA
FROM:
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TITLE CIA Information Report
DATE
PAGES
:
SUBJECTS :
DOCUMENT TYPE :
CLASSIFICATION :
RESTRICTIONS :
CURRENT STATUS :
9/24/1963
4.
DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 9/10/2000
OPENING CRITERIA:
COMMENTS: National Security Files, Box 200: Vietnam, 9/22/63-10/6/63, CIA
Reports. Box 2
Sanitized vid RAI dis
TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
✓ Bendy
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title 18, U.S.C Secs.
793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
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(When Filled In)
COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM
CLASSIFICATION. -
DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
NO FORGION MOLINO DISSEN, ADROAD
BACKGROUND USE ONLY
REPORT NO. TDCS DB-3/656,830
DATE DISTR.
24 SEPTEMBER 1963
PRECEDENCE
PRIORITY
REFERENCES
IN 25834
SUBJECT
HUYNH VAN LANG COUP MOVE TIMING
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
24 SEPTEMBER 1963
DATE ACQ.
VIETNAM, SAIGON (24 SEPTEMBER 1963)
APPRAISAL SEE BELOW
FIELD REPORT NO. EVS-9691
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
SOURCE A CLOSE ASSOCIATE (C) OF HUYNH VAN LANG, FROM LANG.
APPRAISAL:
THERE HAVE BEEN MANY REPORTS INDICATING THAT A COUP IS BEING PLANNED AND
SOME OF THE INFORMATION HERE IN AGREES WITH THAT IN OTHER REPORTS. CLAIMS OF
SUPPORT INDICATED HERE IN CANNOT BE ACCURATELY APPRAISED AT THIS TIME, NOR CAN
COUP.
THE ACTUAL TIMING OF THE
1. SUMMARY. HUYNH VAN LANG, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT
SAIGON UNIVERSITY, SAID ON 24 AUGUST 1963 THAT HIS COUP GROUP
WAS GOING TO LAUNCH A COUP BEFORE 5 OCTOBER AND PROBABLY ON 26
OR 28 SEPTEMBER BECAUSE TROOPS WILL BE IN SAIGON AT THAT TIME.
THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES GENERALS TRAN THIEN
KHIEM, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE JOINT GENERAL STAFF, NGUYEN KHANH,
COMMANDING GENERAL OF 11 CORPS, AND DUONG VAN MINH, MILITARY ADVISOR
TO THE PRESIDENT. EVERY EFFORT IS BEING TAKEN TO REDUCE THE
POSSIBILITY OF EXTENSIVE BLOODSHED. LANG CLAIMS TO HAVE. SIX DIVISIONS
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CIB
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
STATE/INR | DIA ARMY/ACSI NAVY AIR JCS SECDEF INSA NIC AID USIA OCI ONE OCR ORR OCH [EXO
STATE/DIR
TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM
FORM
10-62
1K OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.
(15-20)
=
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IN 25834
TDCS DB-3/656,830
SAPERNE DIT
PAGE 2
PLUS AIRBORNE, MARINE, AND ARMOR ELEMENTS READY TO PARTICIPATE IN
THE COUP. BRIGADIER GENERAL DO CAO TRI IS ALSO WORKING WITH THE
GROUP
2.
A.
LANG MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE STATUS OF THE COUP:
IT IS TO BE INITIATED BEFORE 5 OCTOBER, POSSIBLY ON 26
OR 28 SEPTEMBER.
TROOPS WILL BE BROUGHT INTO SAIGON ON 26 SEPTEMBER
MILITARY UNITS WILL REHEARSE
FOR THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION.
GENER AL KHIEM WAS TRYING TO
ON 28 SEPTEMBER FOR THE 26 OCTOBER NATIONAL DAY PARADE, AND THESE
TROOPS WILL REMAIN UNTIL 5 OCTOBER.
ARRANGE THAT HE TROOPS BROUGHT TO SAIGON WOULD BE THOSE WHO WOULD
SUPPORT A COUP.
B. NO COUP HAS BEEN INITIATED AS YET BECAUSE EVERY EFFORT
IS BEING TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT IT BE RELATIVELY BLOODLESS.
LONE ATTEMPT WAS CANCELLED AT THE POINT OF EXECUTION BECAUSE IT
WAS THOUGHT THAT FURTHER PREPARATION WOULD PREVENT BLOODSHED.
C. A MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE LACK OF SUITABLE EXPLOSIVES TO
BLAST A CONCRETE BUNKER WHERE PRESIDENT DIEM IS EXPECTED TO HIDE.
THE ONLY OPENING TO THE BUNKER, OTHER THAN A HEAVY DOOR, IS THE
VENTILATION SYSTEM AND THE COUP GROUP HESITATES TO USE FLAME
THROWERS OR POISON GAS BECAUSE THEY PREFER TO TAKE DIEM ALIVE.
D. THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE NOW INCLUDES LANG AND GENERALS
KHI EM, KHANH, AND DUONG VAN MINH. GENERAL TRI HAS AGREED TO JOIN
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IN 25834
PAGE
3
!
THE COUP ATTEMPT.
COLONEL BUI DINH DAM, SEVENTH DIVISION COMMANDER,
IS BELIEVED READY TO SUPPORT THE COUP BUT HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED.
COLONEL NGUYEN HUU HANH, CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE IV CORPS, WHO IS A
COUP GROUP MEMBER, BELIEVES THAT BRIGADIER GENERAL HUYNH VAN
CAO IV CORPS COMMANDER, WOULD SUPPORT THE COUP BUT OTHER GROUP
MEMBERS ARE NOT CONVINCED.
E. GENERAL KHIEM WILL COMMAND THE COUP FORCES.
MAJOR LAM
TRANG THO, FORMER SECOND ARMOR SQUADRON COMMANDER AND NOW WITH THE
JOINT GENERAL STAFF, WILL COMMAND ARMOR UNITS, INCLUDING SOME ELEMENTS
OF THIS OLD SQUADRON PLUS THE FIRST TANK COMPANY AND THE FIFTH
MECHANIZED RIFLE COMPANY OF THE FIRST ARMOR SQUADRON.
F.
THREE BATTALIONS OF THE AIRBORNE BRIGADE UNDER A MAJOR.
WILL JOIN ARMOR UNITS IN THE SHOCK FORCE.
G. THE THIRD MARINE BATTALION UNDER CAPTAIN MAHVIET BANG
WILL SERVE AS A BLOCKING FORCE TO PREVENT REINFORCEMENT OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL PALACE BY THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD.
LIEUTENANT COLONAL PHAM NGOC THAO, STRATEGIC HAMLET
INSPECTOR FOR O DINH NHU, WILL NOT COMMAND THE SHOCK TROOPS BUT
WILL HAVE AN IMPORTANT MILITARY FUNCTION DURING THE COUP.
1. LIEUTENANT COLONEL NGUYEN DINH PHAT, KIEN PHONG PROVINCE
CHIEF, WILL COTO SAIGON AND ALSO HAVE AN IMPORTANT
ROLE.
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IN 25834
TDCSDB-3/656,830
PAGE
4.
J. MAJOR NGUYEN VAN TU, COMMANDER OF THE EIGHTH REGIMENT,
FIFTH DIVISION, WILL SUPPORT THE COUP WITH HIS FORCES. ALSO INVOLVED
IS THE FIFTH RECONNAISSANCE COMPANY OF THE FIFTH DIVISION.
K. GENERAL KHANH WILL COMMAND SIX DIVISIONS, ASSISTED BY
GENERAL TRI. THESE DIVISIONS INCLUDE THE FIRST, SECOND, TWENTY-
SECOND, TWENTY-FIFTH, TWENTY-THIRD, AND THE NINTH. ACCORDING TO
KHANH, COLONEL BUT DZINH, NINTH.DIVISION COMMANBER, IS NOT
IN AGREEMENT WITH HIM BUT WILL SUPPORT HIM IN THE COUP.
L. TIMING FOR THE COUP WILL PROBABLY BE 1000 HOURS, 1400
HOURS, OR Ø500 HOURS, SO THAT FAVORABLE UNITS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL
GUARD WILL BE ON DUTY. THESE HOURS ALSO FALL BETWEEN THE NORMAL
HOURS FOR CHANGING THE GUARD.
M. ARRIVAL OF HIGH-LEVEL UNITED STATES DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
OFFICIALS DISCOURAGED THE COUP GROUP WHICH IS RELUCTANT TO PROCEED WITH
THEM PRESENT IN SAIGON. THE GROUP HAS EVEN SPECULATED THE ARRIVAL
OF THESE INDIVIDUALS MIGHT SIGNIFY THAT THE UNITED STATES WAS
PREPARING A COUP OF ITS OWN; ARTICLES IN THE VIETNAM PRESS WERE
CITED AS EVIDENCE OF THIS POSSIBILITY.
3° FIELD DISSEM. STATE (AMBASSADOR LODGE) USMACV (GENERAL
HARKINS) CINCPAC PACAF ARPAC PACFLT.
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