176-10036-10103
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
:
JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM
IDENTIFICATION FORM
AGENCY: NARA
RECORD NUMBER: 176-10036-10103
RECORD SERIES: National Security Files
AGENCY FILE NUMBER :
ORIGINATOR: CIA
FROM:
TO :
TITLE: CIA Information Telegram
DATE: 3/20/1963
PAGES : 3
SUBJECTS :
DOCUMENT TYPE :
CLASSIFICATION :
RESTRICTIONS :
CURRENT STATUS :
DATE OF LAST REVIEW: 9/10/2000
OPENING CRITERIA :
COMMENTS: National Security Files, Box 197: Vietnam; 2/63-3/63. Box 2
i
VERSION
NUK-81-325
TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Vritnan
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.
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
NO FOREIGN DISSEM
REPORT NO. TDCS -3/541,020
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
COUNTRY
SOUTH VIETNAM
SUBJECT
THE SEEKING OF AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR
THE OVERTHROW OF THE DIEM REGIME
DATE DISTR.
20 MARCH 1963
FILE
ROUTINE
MID-MARCH 1963
VIETNAM, SAIGON (14 MARCH 1963)
PRECEDENCE
REFERENCES
IN 89614
ما
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ.
APPRAISAL
SOURCE
APPR
SEE BELOW
FIELD REPORT NO.
FVS-8662
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
A HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL (C), WITH EXTENSIVE CONTACTS AT THE PRESIDENCY.
THIS REPORT IS. TYPICAL OF VIEWS HELD BY CERTAIN OPPOSITIONISTS, INCLUDING THOSE
IN THE FELLOW-TRAVELLING CATEGORY. COMMENTS OF THIS NATURE HAVE ALSO BEEN MADE
BY GOVERNMENT PROVOKERS SEEKING TO PROVOKE AMERICAN REACTION. THE LINE THAT
DIEM IS ACCEPTABLE, BUT THAT HIS FAMILY, ADMINISTRATION, AND PROGRAMS ARE NOT,
IS ALSO CHARACTERISTIC OF VARIOUS OPPOSITION ELEMENTS AS WELL AS SOME SEGMENTS
OF THE LEFT. THE ESTIMATE CONTAINED HEREIN ON A NUMBER OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING
THE APPRAISAL THAT THE STRATEGIC HAMLET PROGRAM IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO THE
GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM OR TO AMERICAN OBJECTIVES, IS NOT ACCEPTED.
1. AMERICAN AID IS ESSENTIAL TO AN OVERTHROW OF THE DIEM REGIME,
ACCORDING TO THE STATEMENTS MADE BY TWO REPRESENTATIVES OF A COMMITTEE OF
NATIONALIST ANTI-COMMUNIST POLITICAL OPPOSITIONISTS IN MID-MARCH 1963, IN
THE PRESENCE OF AN OFFICIAL OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY SERVICE (SEPES),
WHO MAY ALSO BE A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE IS ENGAGED IN A
STUDY OF THE PRESENT SITUATION IN SOUTH VIETNAM AND MAKING PLANS FOR ITS
IMPROVEMENT. ALTHOUGH SEPES' CHIEF TRAN KIM TUYEN IS NOT A MEMBER OF THE
COMMITTEE, BECAUSE OF HIS POSITION, HE HAS PROVIDED CERTAIN SUPPORT FROM TIME TO TIME.
: CLASSIFICATION
C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L
-
DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
NO FOREIGN DISSEM
GROUP 1
Excluded from automatic
downgrading and
declassification
STATE/INR DIA ARMY/ACS1
ACS1 NAVY AIR JCS SECDEF NSA NIC AID USIA OCI ONE OCR ORR OBI 00 EXO
STATE/DIR
TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM
SANITIZED ACK.01.197.5.7.3
FORM
5-62 1Kb
OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.
(15-20)
ما
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
CONFIDENTIAL
IN 89614
NO FOREIGN DISSEM
TDCS -3/541,020
PAG TWO,
THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED THAT, IF AMERICAN AID IS NOT
FORTHCOMING, OTHER SOURCES WILL BE CONTACTED. IF THE AMERICANS
HELP THE NATIONALIST CAUSE OF THE OPPOSITIONISTS, THEY WILL
HAVE SOME MEASURE OF CONTROL OVER THE RESULTS; OTHERWISE,
THEY WILL HAVE NONE. (FIELD COMMENT. FVS 8654, TDCS-3/540,447, REPORTED
AN EARLIER DISCUSSION BY THESE INDIVIDUALS.)
IF
2. ACCORDING TO THESE OPPOSITIONISTS, THE COUNTRY HAS
REACHED A COMPLETE IMPASSE AND SOMETHING MUST HAPPEN SOON.
DIEM SHOULD DIE SUDDENLY, THE RESULT WOULD BE CHAOS, OUT OF
WHICH THE COMMUNISTS WOULD EMERGE AS THE ONLY BENEFICIARIES.
DIEM REMAINS IN POWER ONLY AS THE RESULT OF AMERICAN MILITARY
SUPPORT, WITHOUT WHICH HE WOULD BE COMPLETELY LOST. THE DIEM
GOVERNMENT IS WORSE THAN IMPOSSIBLE…. THERE ARE
A NUMBER OF GROUPS IN THE COUNTRY, SUCH AS THE HOA HAO AND THE
CAO DAI, THAT ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO COMMUNISM BUT CANNOT
POSSIBLY SUPPORT THE PRESENT REGIME, WHEREAS THEY COULD SUPPORT
SOME OTHER NATIONALIST TYPE OF GOVERNMENT. PRESIDENT DIEM
2. IS PERSONALLY A DECENT AND HONORABLE MAN, BUT NGO DINH NHU AND
HIS WIFE MUST BE ELIMINATED; WITHOUT THEM, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE
TO RE-ORIENT DIEM.
3. THE STRATEGIC HAMLET PROGRAM IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE,
ALTHOUGH THE AMERICANS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM ARE EITHER
CONFIDENTIAL
CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
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CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
CONFIDENTIAL
IN 89614
NO FOREIGN DISSEM
TDCS -3/541,020
PAGI THREE
UNAWARE OF RUNWILLING TO FACE IT, THE STRATEGIC HAMLETS ARE
HEAVILY INFILTRATED WITH VIETNAMESE COMMUNISTS (VC), WHOSE
PRESENCE WILL MAKE ITSELF KNOWN IN DUE COURSE. THE REPUBLICAN
YOUTH MOVEMENT IS ONLY A LONG SERIES OF MEETINGS AND IS
COMPLETELY LACKING IN DEPTH AS AN ORGANIZATION; IT IS A
SUPERFICIAL VENEER, GOING THROUGH VARIOUS FRUITLESS MOTIONS.
THE PRINCIPAL CRITERION FOR SELECTION OF PROVINCIAL AND
DISTRICT LEADERS IS PERSONAL OBEDIENCE TO THE REGIME; COMPETENCE
IS ONLY AN AFTERTHOUGHT.
4. IF THE SITUATION CONTINUES IN ITS PRESENT VEIN, THERE
WILL BE A RENEWED VC OFFENSIVE ON A LARGER SCALE SOON AFTER
THE ONSET OF THE RAINY SEASON, WHEN BAD WEATHER REDUCES THE
EFFECTIVENESS OF HELICOPTERS AND AIR CAPABILITY IN GENERAL.
THIS WILL BEGIN NEAR THE SAIGON AREA, AND, AT THE SAME TIME
THE VC WITHIN THE “STRATEGIC HAMLETS WILL GO INTO ACTION.
5. FIELD DISSEM. STATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACV MAAG AID
USIA CINCPAC PACFLT ARPAC PACAF 9TH FIELD STATION 2ND AIR DIVISION.
END OF MESSAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
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