176-10036-10103 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY : NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10103 i RECORD SERIES : National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR.: CIA FROM : TO: TITLE : ClA 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 4
VERSLON lo ae INFORMATION REPORTER CENTRAL. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY aN: Xie This material contains information affecting the National Defente of the. United States within the meaning of the Expionage Lows, Title 18, USC Secr 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner te an unaulhorized person is prohibited by lew CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L NO FOREIGN DISSEM COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM REPORT NO. TDCS -3/541,020 FP Py zo SUBJECT THE SEEKING OF AMERICAN SUPPORT FOR -DATE DISTR. 20 MARCH 1963 : . ‘THE OVERTHROW OF THE DIEM REGIME precepence ROUTINE © DATE OF MID-MARCH 1963 . — REFERENCES © IN 89614 INFO. . PLACE & VIETNAM, SAIGON (14 MARCH 1963) DATE ACO. APPRAISAL SEE BELOW ; FIELD REPORT No, FVS-8662 THIS is UNEVALUATED inrormaTION. SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE. SOURCE = APPR 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. Group | * VEucluded fram avtomote downgrading and declasuficoton " CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS -C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-T-I-A-L NO FOREIGN DISSEM rane7mn [ora Pamvace vr [a Lacs [ese] wae [we [oe [es oer [ose [om [one Tort [oe TE OEM UTIED WU 00-197 573 FORM 1Kb OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS. (15-20)
CLASSIFICATION = DISSEMINATION CONTROLS , | (AL . - -NO. FOREIGN DISSEM TDCS .3/541,020 THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES INDICATED THAT, IF AMERICAN AID 1S NOT FORTHCOMING, OTHER SOURCES WILL BE CONTACTED. IF THE AMER I CANS HELP THE NAT LONAL | ST CAUSE OF THE OPPOSITIONISTS, THEY WILL HAVE SOME MEASURE OF CONTROL OVER THE RESULTS; OTHERWISE, THEY WILL HAVE NONE, (FIELD COMMENT, FVS 8654, mes-3/540,447, REPORTER ~ AN EARLIER DISCUSSION BY THESE INDIVIDUALS, ) | 2. ACCORDING TO THESE OPPOSITIONISTS,. THE COUNTRY HAS REACHED A COMPLETE IMPASSE AND SOMETHING MUST HAPPEN SOON, IF 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 1S WORSE THAN IMPOSSIBLE... ‘THERE ARE A NUMBER OF. GROUPS IN THE. COUNTRY, SUCH AS THE HOA HAO “ANDTHE | CAO DAI, THAT ARE COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO COMMUNISM BUT CANNOT POSSIBLY SUPPORT THE PRESENT REGIME, WHEREAS THEY COULD SUPPORT _ SOME OTHER NATIONAL IST TYPE OF GOVERNMENT. PRESIDENT DIEM -1§ PERSONALLY A DECENT AND HONORABLE MAN, BUT NGO DINH NHU AND HIS WIFE MUST BE ELIMINATED; WITHOUT THEM, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE 10 RE-ORIENT DIEM.. 3. THE STRATEGIC HAMLET PROGRAM 1S HIGHLY ‘DANGEROUS BECAUSE, ALTHOUGH THE “AMERICANS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM ARE EITHER CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS a _ NO FOREIGN DISSEM
, CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS CONFIDENTIAL. | NO FOREIGN DISSEM | TDCS -3/541,020 UNAWARE OF QRG UNWILLING 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 1S ONLY A LONG SERIES OF MEETINGS AND IS COMPLETELY LACKING INDEPTH AS AN ORGANIZATION; JT 1S A SUPERFICIAL VENEER; GOING’ THROUGH VARIOUS FRUITLESS MOTIONS, THE PRINCIPAL CRITERION FOR.SELECTION OF PROVINCLAL AND DISTRICT LEADERS 1S “PERSONAL ‘OBEDIENCE TO THE REGIME; COMPETENCE 1S ONLY AN AFTERTHOUGHT. | 4b. IF THE SITUATION::GONTINUES IN ITS PRESENT VEIN, THERE WILL BE A RENEWED VC OFFENSIVE ON A LARGER SCALE-SOON AFTER THE ONSET OFTHE: 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 arp 'USIA CINCPAC PACFLT ARPAC PACAF 9TH FIELD STATION 2ND AIR DIVISION. END..OF MESSAGE CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS : . _NO FOREIGN DISSEM