176-10036-10157 AGENCY : RECORD NUMBER -: RECORD SERIES : AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : : Saigon TO: : Embtel 731 FROM TITLE DATE : . PAGES : SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS : : 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : DATE OF LAST REVIEW Cables. Box 2 _ JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM NARA 176-10036-10157 National Security Files Secretary of State 10/18/1963 | 3 . National Security Files, Box 201: Vietnam,10/15/63-10/28/63, State
eo 2 | a re INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State a ’ Action. . , Control: 14198 Rec’d: OCTOBER 185 J oe Info FROM: SAIGON ee - 70: “Secretary of State ty | | | : - : 6344 AM | | | | NO: 731, OCTOBER 18, % PM PRIORITY .o | | | ACTION DEPARTMENT PRIORITY 7315 INFORMATION CINCPAC Yee | EVES ONLY FOR SECRETARY RUSK. | PLS PASS SECRETARY MCNAMARA AND. Bele MR. JOHN Y MCCONE EYES ONLY CINCPAC POLAD EXCLUSIVE FOR ADMIRAL FELT | . lo PURSUANT OT INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED PARA 9 DEPTEL 534 AND ELABORATION PARA 9 DEPTEL 57¢, WITH MACY CONCURRENCE | APPOINTED MAJOR GENERAL RICHARD Ge STILWELL, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF J=3 MACY AND THE CAS ACTING CHIEF OF. STATION  (ACOS) TO CONVEY SUBSTANCE OF PARA 9 DEPTEL 53% TO DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE NGUYEN DINH THUAN. t { 2e GENERAL STILWELL AND THE ACOS MET THUAN AT GIA LONG PALACE BY. APPOINTMENT ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 17. THE MEETING _-LASTED APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. GEN. STILWELL OPENED THE ~ “CONVERSATION BY STATING THAXNE HAD RECENTLY BEEN TRAVELING | | WITH ACTING ARVN CHIEFOF STAFF ,.MAJOR GENERAL TRAN VAN _ DON, TO VARIOUS SUBORDINATE HEADQUARTERS THROUGHOUT .V1ETNAM ! AND. ‘THAT THE PURPOSE OF THESE TRAVELS HAD BEEN TO INSURE THAT ALL UNITS WERE MAKING FULL CONTRIBUTION TO THE WAR EFFORTe GENe STILWELL ADDED THAT IN THIS LIGHT, THIS MEETING HAD BEEN . REQUESTED WITH: THUANe | { | i | a 36 THUAN IMMEDIATELY STATED, "YOU'VE COME TO TALK ABOUT THE | SPECIAL FORCES.” GEN, STILWELL ANO THE ACOS ACKNOWLEDGED . . 7 THAT THIS fy REPRODUCTION FROM THIS COPY IS SECR Hts cay PROHIBITED UNLESS “UNCLASSIFIED”
SECRET o2e 731, OCTOBER 18, 4 PM FROM SAIGONo THAT THIS WAS TRUE AND THEN PROCEEDED TO EXPLAIN THE STRUCTURE. AND SUPPORT OF SPECIAL FORCES UNITS IN THE SAIGON AREA. IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT OF TEN SPECIAL FORCES COMPANIES, SEVEN ARE MEMBERS OF ARVN AND ARE MAP-SUPPORTED; THREE COMPANIES ARE CIVILIAN AND ARE SUPPORTED ENTIRELY By CAS. ACOS THEN STATED THAT HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO INDICATE TO THUAN THAT UNLESS THE CIVILIAN COMPANIES WERE EFFECTIVELY SUBORDINATED TO THE , JGS AND COMMITTED TO FIELD OPERATIONS, ALL SUPPORT OF THESE COMPANIES WOULD CEASE. GEN. STILWELL ADDED THAT THIS APPLIED TO THE MAP=SUPPORTED UNITS. ALSO BUT WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THE LONG TERM, UNDER THE CONDITIONS SPECIFIED, BY A DECREASE EQUIVALENT TO SEVEN COMPANIES IN THE OVERALL MAP SUPPORT BUDGET. IT WAS CAREFULLY EXPLAINED THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS ACTION: WAS TO PLACE THESE UNITS IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF THE WAR EFFORT UNDER HIS CONTROL o 4S THUAN SEEMED To ABSORB THIS FULLY AND REPEATED HIS UNDERe STANDING THAT BOTH MAP AND CAS SUPPORT OF SPECIAL FORCES WOULD CEASE UNLESS VIETNAMESE SPECIAL FORCES ARE EFFECTIVELY SUBORDINATED TO TRE JGS AND COMMITTED TO FIELD OPERATIONS. 5. THUAN WAS FURTHER INFORMED THAT HENCEFORTH PAYMENTS 10 MOUNTAIN SCOUTS AND BORDER SURVEILLANCE PERSONNEL WOULD BE MADE ONLY THROUGH US SPECIAL FORCES MECHANISMS ANO FUNDS FOR THESE PROGRAMS WOULD NO RPT NO LONGER BE GIVEN DIRECTLY TO COLe TUNG. THUAN WAS ASSURED THAT THE ACTUAL PASSAGE OF ‘ FUNDS WOULD BE THROUGH THE HANDS OF VIETNAMESE, NOT AMERICAN, OFFICERS BUT THAT AMERICAN SPECIAL FORCES WORKING WITH THEIR... VIETNAMESE COUNTERPARTS IN THE PROVINCES WOULD DIRECTLY OVERSEE THE EXPENDITURES OF THESE FUNDS.. THUAN WAS INTERESTED IN THE AMOUNTS INVOLVED AND SEEMED SURPRISED AT THEIR MAGNITUDE» 6. THUAN WAS TOLD THAT THE WSG DOES NOT RPT NOT PLAN ANY PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS STEP BUT, IF IT BECAME KNOWN AND IF THE EMBASSY WERE QUERIED, WE WOULD STATE THAT THIS ACTIVE SCD BEEN TAKEN SINCE WE CANNOT SUPPORT FORCES NOT RPT NOT DIRECTLY CONTRIBUTING TO THE WAR EFFORT. THUAN WAS / ALSO INFORMED SECRET - | ( Mee
SECRET -3= 731, OCTOBER 18,.4 PM FROM SAIGON. ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS MATTER WOULD ALSO BE. TAKEN UP DIRECTLY WITH COL. TUNG. HE CONCURRED IN THIS AND STATED THAT HE WOULD DISCUSS THE MATTER IMMEDIATELY WITH THE PRESIDENT. GP=2 4 LODGE | MBK@27 NOTE: PASSED WHITE HOUSE, AT 7s 56 AM, OCTOBER 18, 1963: - PASSED OSD AT. 8:19 AM, OCTOBER 18, 1963. PASSED CIA AT 8:43 AM, OCTOBER 18, 1963. ADVANCE COPY TO S/$=0 AT 73 3t Ally, OCTOBER 18, 1963. SECRET