176-10036-10140 JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION FORM AGENCY : NARA RECORD NUMBER : 176-10036-10140 RECORD SERIES : National Security Files AGENCY FILE NUMBER : ORIGINATOR : CIA ° FROM : TO: . TITLE : CIA Information Report DATE : 9/23/1963 PAGES : 3 SUBJECTS : DOCUMENT TYPE : CLASSIFICATION : RESTRICTIONS : CURRENT STATUS :_ DATE OF LAST REVIEW : 9/10/2000 OPENING CRITERIA : COMMENTS : National Security Files, Box 200: Vietnam,9/22/63-10/6/63. Box 2
TP) A Me Keri S17. ATION REI IRT SEK SANE LEO VERS TON -¥ IvaAy OY ee Ih > ‘OKM CENTRAL, INTELLIGENCE AGENCY NEYA-E2- SL This material: contains information electing “the National Defonte of the United States within the meaning of the E:pronege Lews, Title 8, US.G Sees 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in eay manner to an unauthoried pamnon is arohibiled by lew. CLASSIFICATION —— DISSEMINATION CONTROLS NO FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY * COUNTRY SOUTH VIETNAM oo . ; -- + REPORTNO. TDCS DB- 3/656, 792 SUBJECT PHAM NGOC THAO'S COUP GROUP'S STRATEGY; DATE Distr, § 23 SEPTEMBER 29683. ; HIS OPINION OF THE ARMY GENERALS; AND, vs . HIS BELIEF THAT NGO DINE NHU COMPARES PRECEDENCE ROUTINE WELL WITH COMMUNISTS | , DATE OF REFERENCE ‘ Meo. 13 SEPTEMBER 1963 AND AS STATED mews IN _ LACE Co . ne 220. VIETNAM, SAIGON (13 SEPTEMBER 1963) ‘APPRAISAL SEE BELO FIELD REPORT NO. THIS iS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION, SOURCE GRADINGS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE. SOURCE . APPR . PHAM NGOC THAO'S GROUP PROBABLY IS PLANNING A COUP D'ETAT AGAINST THE DIEM REGIME, BUT WHETHER OR NOR THEY EVER ACHIEVE THE RIGHT COMBINATION OF UNITS TO TAKE ACTION ’ CANNOT HE ASSESSED. ‘THAO'S OPINION OF THE ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM GENERALS a ' IS PROBABLY ACCURATE IN CERTAIN INSTANCES. ‘THAO'S JUDGMENTLOF.NGO DINH NHU'S - . PERSONALITY AND CHARACTER IS POSSIBLY.ACCURATE SINCE THAO IS A FORMER VIETNAMESE ‘COMMUNIST. 1. SUMMARY. oe PHAM NGOC THAO, SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR OF STRATEGIC HAMLETS FOR THE PRESIDENCY, SAID ON 13 SEPTEMBER 1963 THAT THE COUP D'ETAT PLANNING OF HIS GROUP 18 PROGRESSING WELL, BUT THAT IT WILL NOT TAKE ACTION UNTIL IT IS REASONABLY CERTAIN OF SUCCESS. THAO MAINTAINED THAT THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE GENERALS ARE UNDEFENDABLE AS THEY ARE AFRAID OF LOSING THEIR PRIVILEGED POSITIONS. HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT NGO DINH NEU WAS SIMILAR TO A COMMUNIST AS NHU IS ALSO DEVIOUS, ‘DISRESPECTFUL OF LEGALITY, : AND WILL DO ANYTHING ro. FURTHER His * OWN GOALS. Grour 3 Eacluded feom ovtomate CLASSIFICATION ~= DISSEMINATION CONTROLS . S-E-C-R-E-T -  NOSFOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD /BACKGROUND doungroding ond :! USE_ONLY CIs fe a = a OOH | oS eebahT - FORM 1Kb. OBSOLETE PREVIOUS EDITIONS, (15-20
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS $5 C R ET. No FOREIGN ‘DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD — TDCSDB-3/656, 792 (When Filled In) _ BACKGROUND. USE. ONLY ‘ ‘2. .COLONEL THAO SAID THAT THE COUP D'ETAT GROUP TO WHICH HE BELONGS IS PLANNING CAREFULLY: AND MOVING CAUTIOUSLY TOWARD A COUP SINCE THEY WISH TO HE REASONABLY CERTAIN OF SUCCESS. HE STATED THAT THE GROUP WILL TAKE ACTION WHEN THE RIGHT. COMBINATION OF UNITS Is ACHIEVED. _HE CLAIMED HAT THE MOVEMENT .OF MILITARY UNITS TO SUPPORT AN ATTEMPTED COUP WAS GOING ‘FAIRLY WELL AND THAT THE GROUP WAS NOW TRYING TO OBTAIN THE ‘SUPPORT OF THE ARMORED UNITS. IN SAIGON, WHICH | WOULD MAKE A SUCCESSFUL.COUP MUCH EASIER TO ATTAIN AND WOULD CAUSE LESS BLOODSHED. 3.  THAO REMARKED THAT THE DEPARTURE OF ARAN. KIM TUYEN, .FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE PRESIDENTIAL SECURITY SERVICE, FROM SOUTH VIETNAM-WILL PROBABLY HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON THE TUYEN GROUP COUP D'ETAT PLANNING, BUT MIGHT PROVE BENEFICIAL : TO THAO'S GROUP AS NGO DINE NHU MIGHT RELAX IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM'S MOST DANGEROUS ENEMIES IS OUT OF THE WAY. 4.  THAO MAINTAINED THAT. THE GENERALS OF THE ARMY OF. THE REPUELIC OF VIETNAM ARE UNDEPENDABLE; THEY CLAIM THAT THEY ARE AWAITING A. POSITIVE INDICATION THAT THE NGO FAMILY .IS PLACING PRESERVATION .OF THEIR OWN PERSONAL POWER ABOVE THAT OF ‘THE COUNTRY, AND/OR POSITIVE PROOF THAT NHU Is TEALING WITH ‘THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM. HAO REMARKED THAT THESE, ARE MERELY EXCUSES AND THAT THE GENERALS ARE AFRAID OF LOSING PRIVILEGED POSITIONS. | | | | 5. ,THAO REMARKED THAT, IN AIS OPINION, NHU MIGHT THINK THAT HE CAN MAKE A DEAL WITH THE COMMUNISTS AND END UP BY TRICKING THEM. THAO CLAIMED, HOWEVER, THAT IF NHU ACTUALLY BELIEVES SUCH A THING, HE IS VERY.MUCH MISTAKEN. ‘THAO STATED THAT CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS s E Cc R ET .ccx+--: NO FORBIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY
CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS SECRET — No FOREIGN DISSEM/NO DISSEM ABROAD | TDCSDB=3/656, 792 (When Filled In) BACKGROUND USE ONLY . NHU COMPARED WELL WITH HIGH-RANKING COMMUNISTS, BUT THAT HE MAKES UNILATERAL IECISIONS WHILE THE COMMUNISTS MAKE DECISIONS ONLY AFTER DISCUSSIONS, “THUS PRECLUDING SERIOUS ERRORS. THAO SAID THAR, ‘WHEN SPEAKING WITH NHU, HE HAS OFTEN FELE THAT HE WAS ‘SPEAKING WITH A COMMUNIST SINCE NEU is ALSO TIEVIOUS, DISRESPECT= FUL OF LEGALITY, AND WILL DO ANYTHING ‘TO FURTHER HIS OWN GOALS. 6. ‘HAO COMMENTED THAT. NHU RECENTLY TOLD THAI LANG.NGHIEM, A CLOSE. FRIEND OF NHU, THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING SOON THAT WOULD HE VERY. SURPRISING, BUT THAT IT WAS TOO EARLY TO DIVULGE WHAT HE. HAS IN MIND. THAO HAD NO IDEA WHAT NHU HAD IN-MIND, BUT SPECULATED THAT IT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO DO WITH NORTH VIETNAM. | | 7. FIELD 'DISSEM. STATE USMACV CINCPAC ARPAC PACAF PACFLT. -END OF MESSAGE us ; CLASSIFICATION — DISSEMINATION CONTROLS SECRET ____ No ForkicN DISSEM/No.DISSEM ABROAD/BACKGROUND USE ONLY