176-10036-10098
2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992
JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM
IDENTIFICATION FORM
AGENCY: NARA
RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10098
RECORD SERIES : National Security Files
AGENCY FILE NUMBER:
ORIGINATOR : CIA
FROM:
TO :
TITLE: Central Intelligence Agency Information Report
DATE: 5/18/1963
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, 4/63-5/63. Box 2
santaupiai
NLK-81-327.
TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE · AGENCY
3. Vietnam
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
CONFIDENTIAL
(When Filled in)
COUNTRY
SOUTH VIETNAM
SUBJECT
PLANS FOR A COUP D'ETAT. IN CENTRAL
VIETNAM BY THE REFORMED VNQDD
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
•
EARLY MAY 1963
DATE ACO. VIETNAM, SAIGON (13 MAY 1963)
NO FOREIGN DISSEM
REPORT NO. TDCS-3/547,672
DATE DISTR.
18 MAY 1963
PRECEDENCE
ROUTINE
REFERENCES
IN 41761
FIELD REPORT NO. FVS 8959
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
SOURCE A VIETNAMESE NEWSPAPERMAN (c) WITH EXTENSIVE CONTACTS IN PRESS AND POLITICAL CIRCLES,
APPRAISAL: IT IS PROBABLY TRUE THAT THE VNQDD IS BEING REFORMED; ITS CAPABILITIES
IN CENTRAL VIETNAM CANNOT BE JUDGED.
¡
SHORTLY AFTER. THE 8 MAY 1963 INCIDENT IN HUE, NGUYEN VAN
LUC RECEIVED A PLAN FOR A COUP D'ETAT IN CENTRAL VIETNAM BE FROM THE
CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE CENTRAL VIETNAM THOÁT XÁC PHONG TRAO
(TXPT). (SOURCE COMMENT.. TXPT DOES NOT. TRANSLATE MEANINGFULLY
INTO ENGLISH. THOAT HAS THE CONNOTATION OF GOING OUT IN MIND AND
SPIRIT; XAC MEANS BODY, 1.E., PHYSICALLY; PHONG TRAO MEANS MOVEMENT
THUS, THE MOVEMENT OF MIND, SPIRIT, AND BODY MIGHT BE ONE TRANSLATION;
A BETTER ONE WOULD BE VNQDD.) THE TXPT HAS BEEN DEVELOPING SINCE
VIETNAM QUOC DAN DANG SYNODD; VIETNAMESE NATIONAL 1ST PARTY
PARTICULARLY THOSE ELEMENTS IN CENTRAL VIETNAM,
1958 FROM THE
THE
CONFIDENTIAL
CLASSIFICATION - DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
NO FOREIGN DISSEM
GROUP I
Excluded from sulemant
dawngrading and
declaufication
STATE/INR DIA ARMY/ACSI NAVY AIR JCE SECDEP NGA NIC AID USIA OCI ONE OCR ORA OBI OD EXO.
TELEGRAM INFORMATION REPORT TELEGRAM
ORM 1K OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONĄ,
(18-20)
SANITIZED MK.01.197.6
'
10.8
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IN 41761
TDCS-3/547,672
PAGE
2
i
i
"
THE VNQDD STRONGHOLD. THE TXPT. ALTHOUGH COMPOSED ENTIRELY OF FORMER
VNQDD MEMBERS, WAS ESTABLISHED ESSENTIALLY AS A BUDDHIST ASSOCIATION
AND HAS BEEN LEGALLY ENGAGED IN CIVIC AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES SINCE
ITS FORMATION. CLANDESTINE POLITICAL ORGANIZATION HAS PROCEEDED
FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEVELOPING NEW, YOUNGER LEADERS, AND OF DENYING
THE OLDER PASSIVE TENETS OF BUDDHISM AS WELL AS THE OLDER LEADERS
OF THE VNQDD, THE ULTIMATE INTENT BEING A REVITALIZED REVOLUTIONARY
SPIRIT. (FIELD COMMENT. LUC IS THE FATHER AND ACCOMPLICE OF NGUYEN
VAN CU, ONE OF THE TWO PILOTS WHO COMBED THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE
ON 27 FEBRUARY 1962.)
.
"
2. THE TXPT CENTRAL COMMITTEE REMINDED LUC THAT THE ORGANI-
ZATION WAS IN A POSITION TO HANDLE A COUP ACTION IN CENTRAL VIETNAM
EFFECTIVELY, POINTING OUT THAT THOSE MILITARY UNITS NOT CONTROLLED
COULD BE NEUTRALIZED AND THAT THE AIR BASE AT DA NANG COULD BE
_CONTROLLED THROUGH THE AIR FORCE. THE COMMITTEE STATED THAT, AFTER
i THE ANTI-BUDDHIST ACTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE PEOPLE WERE READY
FOR AN UPRISING. BY TAKING NGO DINH CAN AND ARCHBISHOP NGO DINH
THUC INTO CUSTODY AND BY GAINING MILITARY CONTROL OVER THUA THIEN
AND QUANG NAM PROVINCES, SUCCESS COULD BE ASSURED IN CENTRAL VIETNAM.
THIS WOULD PLACE THE TXPT IN A POSITION OF USING PRESIDENT DIEM'S
TACTICS OF NEGOTIATIONS AGAINST HIM, I.E., HAVING GAINED CONTROL
OVER CENTRAL VIETNAM THEY WOULD OFFER TO NEGOTIATE WITH DIEM
CONFIDENTIAL
9.
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.CLASSIFICATION-DISSEMINATION CONTROLS
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IN
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41761
TDCS-3/547,672
PAGE
3
AND
,
AT THE SAME TIME, THEY WOULD BE MOUNTING A COUP AGAINST THE
REGIME IN SAIGON, WHICH WOULD TAKE PLACE NO LATER THAN THREE DAYS
AFTER THE ONE IN CENTRAL VIETNAM.
و
3. LUC SENT A TRUSTED FOLLOWER, ONE VIET TO SAIGON TO DISCUSS
THE PLAN WITH AN OPPOSITIONIST SYMPATHIZER AND GET HIS VIEWPOINT.
VIET WAS ADVISED TO TELL LUC THAT ANY SUCH ACTION WAS PRECIPITATE
AND DANGEROUS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS PROBABLY TRUE THAT THE FORMER VNQDD
MEMBERS IN CENTRAL VIETNAM HAD THE POWER CLAIMED, A COUP THERE,
WITHOUT SIMULTANEOUS ACTION IN SAIGON, WOULD LEAVE A VACUUM WHICH
THE VIET CONG (VC) COULD IMMEDIATELY USE TO THEIR OWN ADVANTAGE.
VC REACTION PROBABLY WOULD TAKE THE FORM OF GAINING CONTROL OF ALL
AREAS NOT EFFECTIVELY CONTROLLED BY THE COUP GROUP, WITH THE
ULTIMATE POSSIBILITY OF PARTITIONING CENTRAL VIETNAM, OF BEING IN A
POSITION TO FORM A REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT, AND FINALLY, OF BEING
ABLE TO CALL FOR NEGOTIATIONS. THEMSELVES. ACCORDING TO VIET, THIS
FOLLOWED LUC'S THINKING, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE HIS FOLLOWERS WERE NOT
IN A POSITION TO ACT IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY. VIET
THOUGHT THAT LUC WOULD INSTRUCT THE TXPT CENTRAL COMMITTEE IN.
CENTRAL VIETNAM TO TAKE NO ACTION AT THIS TIME, AND THAT LUC'S
ADVICE WOULD BE ACCEPTED.
:
4. FIELD DISSEM. STATE ARMY NAVY AIR USMACV USOM MAAG USIS
CINCPAC PACFLT PACAF ARPAC 9TH FIELD STATION 2ND AIR. DIVISION.
END OF MESSAGE
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