176-10036-10149 ’ AGENCY RECORD NUMBER DATE OF LAST REVIEW Reports. Box 2 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM : NARA : 176-10036-10149 RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : FROM : TO: TITLE : DATE : PAGES : SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : : 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : National Security Files CIA information Report - 10/2/1963 6 National Security Files, Box 200: Vietnam,9/22/63-10/6/63, CIA
oF : CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY. This material contains information affecting the National Befense of tha ‘United States within the ‘meening of the Esp: renege ‘Laws, Tite 48, usec Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner fo an unauthorised person is prohibited by lew S FE Cc R E T CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS (When Pues ny 5. {STEN BUSSEY DISSE ABSOAD “ciao OSE ONLY COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM REPORT NO. - TOSS pB- =3/657 031 SUBJECT FURTHER PLANNING OF LANG COUP GROUP DATE DISTR. 2 o¢toser 1963 - PRECEDENCE - PRIORITY se paTE OF 26-30 septemBer 1963 ae! REFERENCES: . IN 31379 INFO. . a } PLACE& VIETNAM, SAIGON (30 sepTemBER 1963) ‘ DATE ACQ. APPRAISAL SEE BELOW . FIELD REPORT NO. THIS is UNEVALUATED INFORMATION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT 1S TENTATIVE. SOURCE APPR: LANG MAY BE MAKING -COUP. PLANS AS REPORTEDBUT THE DEGREE. To. WHICH. OTHER tN DIVIOUALS NAMED MAY BE INVOLVED CANNOT BE JUDGED. GENERAL TY PROBABLY HAS SUPPORTED THE . GENERALS! DEMANDS ON PRESIDENT DIEM. . THE MEETING OF DIEM WITH THE TROOP COMMANDERS POS= SIBLY TOOK PLACE AS REPORTED. .LANG PROBABLY HOLDS. THE VIEWS CITED. 1. SUMMARY, ON 3% SEPTEMBER 1963 HUYNH VAN LANG, PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AT SAIGON UNIVERSITY SAID THAT: LLEUTENANT -GENERAL | LE VAN Tys CHIEE, JOINT GENERAL STAFF (JGS), HAD REINFORCED THE GENERALS! DEMANDSF FOR GOVERNMENTAL REFORMS” BUT. tHaT SOME GENERALS WERE CONVINCED. THAT. THE, COUP’ “SHO “REGARDLESS OF WHETHER DIEM TWNTTFTATES "REFORM TRAN THIEN KHIEM, CHIEF OF STAFF, JGS, WASGOBMEERNED™ “ABOUT” VIET CONG MILITARY ACTIVLTY NEAR SAIGON, HE ANG OTHER GENERALS WANTED TO BE ASSURED OF UNITED STATES SUPPORT IN THE EVENT THAT A COUP SUCCEEDED, COLONEL DO MAU, CHIEF, MILITARY SECURITY Gaoue | Cactuded trom avtimaone Géwagredng ead | detlarnfasten CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS SECRET UREN seo se aan BAEROID Os LY «$1 STATE/D1R® TELEGRAM 8s | K: OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS.
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS 1s EC RET a | TDCS 08-3/657,031 |] (meen rites 7) Np FOREICH DissEW/ND DISSEN ABROAD ee | : SERVICE,HAS ATTEMPTED TO INFLUENCE VIETNAMESE AIR FORCE (VNAF) "OFFICERS TO ATTACK GIA LONG PALACE, | THE COUP PLOTTERS ‘WERE CONCERNED ABOUT PRESIDENT DIEM'S MEETINGS WITH ARMY OFFICERS DURING WHICH THE LATTER RECEIVED’ GIFTS OF MONEY, LANG'S PLAN FOR REORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT FOLLOWING THE COUP.HAS BEEN "ACCEPTED IN PRINCIPLE BY THE REVOLUTIONARY COMMITTEE AND HE HAS STARTED SELECTING MEMBERS OF A SHADOW GOVERNMENT, LANG HAS ADVISED POSTPONING THE COUP UNTIL HIS GOVERNMENTAL PLANNING ‘HAS BEEN COMPLETED, 2. LANG MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ABOUT MILITARY DEVELOPMENTS: | “A, LIEUTENANT GENERAL LE VAN TY, RECENTLY RETURNED FROM THE UNITED STATES, MET WITH OTHER GENERALS ON 26 OR 27 SEPTEMBER AND THEN SAW PRESIDENT DIEM TO URGE GOVERNMENTAL REFORMS, INCLUDING THE APPOINTMENT OF GENERALS TO THE MINISTRIES OF NATIONAL DEFENSE AND INTERIOR, B. GENERAL KHIEM AND OTHER GENERALS WERE BECOMING CONVINCED THAT REFORMS ALONE WOULD NOT BE SUFFICIENT AND. THAT THE ENTIRE NGO FAMILY HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM OFFICE. C, KHIEM ‘WAS CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASED VIET CONG (vc) MILITARY ACTIVITY NEAR SA1GON AND THE COUP PLOTTERS. FEARED POSS! BLE vc EXPLO! TATION OF AN ATTEMPTED COUP DIETAT, , CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS SECRET ma sney os bs aa AERA USE ONL:
. r * _ ‘IASSIFICATION —~ DISSEMINATION CONTROLS = secRET. "HD FORE sc pss ABROAD bacon USE ONLY -~ |tpesop-3/657,031 D. KHIEM AND OTHER GENERALS’ DID NOT WISH. TO ATTEMPT ‘A COUP, UNTIL IT: WAS DETERMINED THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD — SUPPORT THEM IF THEIR COUP SUCCEEDED, a E. COLONEL DO’ MAU, WORKING THROUGH LIEUTENANT GOLONELS NGUYEN CAO KY, 1ST TRANSPORT GROUP COMMANDER AND DO KHAC MAI, VNAF CHIEF OF STAFF, HAS INDEPENDENTLY ATTEMPTED TO INFLUENCE VNAF OFFICERS TO MOUNT A COUP AND ATTACK GIA LONG PALACE. LANG'S GROUP BELIEVED THAT MAU WAS’ TOO INDISCREET BUT PLANNED TO CAPITALIZE ON THE SITUATION IF THE VNAF DID BEGIN-A COUP. (FIELD COMMENT.” 17\wis°acenREPORTED THAT MAI AND MAU WERE DISAPPOINTED THAT NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN AGAINST THE REGIME. ) oF, GENERAL: KHIEM CLAIMED THAT: HELICOPTER UNITS WERE INCLUDED IN THE LANG COUP GROUP, uo G, PRESIDENT DIEM RECENTLY SUMMONED MILITARY OFFICERS, WITH THE RANK OF CAPTAIN AND ABOVE, WHO COMMANDED TROOP UNITS IN AND NEAR SAIGON. AND GAVE THEM SUMS OF MONEY RANGING FROM 36,900 10 199,099 PIASTERS, THE MONEY OSTENSIBLY WAS SEIZED FROM THE VC. COLONEL NGUYEN VAN THIEN, VIETNAMESE ARMOR COMMANDER, RECEIVED 10D, 066 PIASTERS, WHICH “APPARENTLY HAS CAUSED HIM TO ” RENEW HIS ALLEGIANCE TO DIEM, | SOME JUNIOR OFFICERS COUNTED ON, TO SUPPORT THE COUP HAD BEEN IMPRESSED BY THEIR MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT, BUT OTHERS WERE NOT AND HAVE JOINED THE COUP GROUP, _ CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS BACKENOUND USE ONUY
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS | TDC 08-3/657,031 | W. FOREIGN, Pasa DISSE aBaoAn _ aoe TS my (FIELD COMMENT. SEE FVS 9712 (sis 560,395 ) FOR THAO!S STATEMENT T THAT NHU HAD GIVEN LARGE SUMS OF’ MONEY TO MILITARY OFF ICRS, y H. DIEM HAS GIVEN LARGE SUMS OF MONEY TO COLONEL HUYNH : HUU HIEN, VNAF COMMANDER. ACCORI ONG TO GENERAL KHIEM, DIEM HAS ef ennea GIVEN HIEN ORDERS TO USE THE VNAF FOR COUNTERCOUP ACTION “AND FOR EVACUATION OF THE PRESIDENT IF NECESSARY, J. DIEM OFFERED LIEUTENANT COLONEL PHAM Naoc THAO, INSPECTOR OF STRATEGIC HAMLETS, THE POSITION OF DIRECTOR | GENERAL OF NATIONAL POLICE WHILE NHU OFFERED HIM COMMAND OF THE SPECIAL FORCES. THAO, HOWEVER, HAS NOT WAVERED IN HIS ‘SUPPORT - OF THE COUP, 3.0 “LANG SAID THAT HE HAS URGED DELAY IN "MOUNT ING THE COUP UNTIL HE HAS COMPLETED HIS PLANS FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT sO THAT THERE WOULD BE NO voID FOR THE VC TO EXPLOIT. HE: SAID. THAT THE REVOLUT 1 ONARY COMMITTEE HAS ACCEPTED IN PRINCI PLE HIS IDEAS CONCERNING ORGANIZATION OF A NEW GOVERNMENT. (FIELD COMMENT? “IN LANG! S PROPOSED GOVERNMENT THE REVOLUT | ONARY ‘COMMITTEE WOULD F REPLACE PRESIDENT DIEM, THE TERM MINISTER WOULD BE: USED INSTEAD OF COORDINATING SECRETARY OF STATE AND "MINISTER OF SECURITY AND MINISTER OF: POLITICAL AFFAIRS WOULD BE ADDED TO THE GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE, WHICH WOULD NOT DIFFER DRASTICALLY FROM THE PRESENT ONE.) LANG HAS SELECTED “CLASSIFICATION. — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS s E ¢c R E _ wi msc DISEH ABROAD pygysanun USE ONLY
CLASSIFICATION ~- DISSEMINATION CONTROLS : -|SECRET an 8/67 of | |. nen rutea 1m) HO POREIGH mssea DISSEH ABROAD bacon ASE aay | » [Ppesee 3/657,03 THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS AS MEMBERS OF A SHADOW CABINET: ° A. GENERAL KHIEM, MINISTER OF SECURITY — B. VO VAN-HIEN, CURRENTLY A SAIGON LAWYER, MINISTER OF JUSTICE, | | ee C; LANG, EITHER MINISTER OF ECONOMY OR DEPUTY MINISTER 7 OF ECONOMY FOR FINANCE. | | a | D, NGUYEN TON HOAN, PROMIENT OPPOSITION LEADER IN: EXILE, MINISTER OF CULTURAL AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS, oe Ce eee E, NGUYEN: THAI, - OPPOSITION LEADER IN THE UNITED STATES, EITHER MINISTER OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS OR DEPUTY MINISTER OF POLITICAL AFFAIRS FOR Civic. ACTION, | oe F MAJOR GENERAL TRAN VAN MINA, DEPUTY. MINISTER oF oe SECUR 1 TY FOR: DEFENSE. Gy NGUYEN Huy NGHIA, GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM (vn. i AMBASSADOR To TOKYO, DEPUTY MINISTER OF SECURITY FOR INTERIOR. : We NGUYEN HUU CHAU, FORMER MINLSTER OF INTERIOR UNDER . 1. DIEM CURRENTLY IN EXILE, DEPUTY MINISTER OF POLITICAL, AFFAIRS / FOR FORE |GN AFFAIRS, i. AU TRUONG THANA, "PROFESSIONAL ECONOMIST, DEPUTY MINISTER OF ECONOMY FOR ECONOMIC AFFAIRS. | oo oy J. LIEUTENANT COLONEL PHAM NGOC THAO, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NATIONAL, POLICE, ae CLASSIFICATION ~— DISSEMINATION CONTROLS SECRE T “pO FOREN nn DSSEM ABAD UND USE-OMLy m, i ; Sa NS Re SN age rpc ae peng petit 58 2 ftir eres rear
[secret : © Pnen rutea tn) lie BiSEE ee san0Ag pans ERD USE amy Stes yee, Vp eer emer TTT ERAT ETO . eps bene as ob tones ate ae wate eee HE HAS SENT A CATHOL IC PRIEST TO PARIS TO CONTACT CHAU. AND se s' é c R E 7 ® FE masii0 isc RD ~ CLASSIFICATION =_ DISSEMINATION CONTROLS -|tocs'oe-3/657,031 LANG.-HAS CONTACTED ALL OF THE ABOVE EXCEPT NGHIA, CHAU AND HOA, WAS PLANNING TO CONTACT THE OTHERS EVENTUALLY. 4, LANG. SAID THAT HE WAS STRONGLY. OPPOSED TO: THE INCLUS TON OF TRAN KIM TUYEN, RECENTLY ASSIGNED AS GVN CONSUL GENERAL TO CAIRO, IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT, NEVERTHELESS, ‘THAO. HAS ASSURED TUYEN'S SUPPORTERS. IN SAIGON THAT TUYEN wItL BE A MEMBER OF THE REVOLUT | ONARY COMM! TTEE IN ORDER TO ASSURE THEIR: SUPPORT FOR THE COUP, . ; +5. FIELD DISSEM, STATE (AMBASSADOR LODGE) “USMACV (GENERAL - HARICINS) CINCPAC PACFLT ARPAC 'PACAF. . END OF ‘MESSAGE. "GIASSIFICATION wa DISSEMINATION CONTROLS ~~ BACKGRODND ‘USE ONLY